Only Human
by RisingDarkAngel
Summary: This is a fan fic by Amari. There is a darkness in this world; a darkness controlled by one entity... a man that I knew all too well. My name is Alphonse Elric. I was fourteen years old... and I remember everything. COMPLETE
1. The Undead Leigon

**Okay, so, first story from Amari! Yay! Okay, so, the usual disclaimer drill- I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! ALL OWNERSHIP RIGHTS TO FULLMETAL GO TO HIROMU ARAKAWA! The only thing within this story that I own is my OC, Evelyn. Evelyn is the reincarnation of Amari, but I'll re-describe her because I forgot to do so in the story... XP She has long pale blonde hair and bright green eyes. She has a relatively sweet personality... as long as you don't get on her bad side. XD Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this story! I'll add chapter two soon! Thanks!**

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**Chapter One**

"I can't believe it! Nii-san, how could you have been so careless?" Al cried, throwing his hands over his head. It was almost late October in the year 1918 and the older Elric's State Alchemist Assessment Day was coming up fast. He needed to pass in order to keep his title as a State Alchemist, but he had fallen ill due his lackadaisical attitude toward his own well being. He had contracted the stomach flu, of all things!

"Al, calm down! Don't shout, either. I have a headache." Ed complained, pulling the bed covers over his head. "Close the curtains. The sunlight hurts my head even worse!"

"Well, that's your fault for getting lost! Seriously, Nii-san, it was raining outside and you didn't even think to get to some shelter? Where was your head?"

"All right, all right, I screwed up! I'm sorry, Al, geez. My head hurts…" Edward moaned dramatically, peeking out from under the covers to see if his little brother would leave. Alphonse sighed hopelessly and shook his head; he turned when he heard laughter coming from the doorway to their hotel room and, to his surprise, saw that the laughter was from Evelyn, an old friend of theirs from Resembool.

"Well, I see you haven't changed one bit, have you, Edward?" she teased, sitting on the bed next to him. She smiled sweetly at the brothers and continued, "Man, I heard you got the stomach flu. Bummer. Guess that means you won't be a State Alchemist anymore, Fullmetal!" She laughed evilly, as if she were planning to take the title of Fullmetal from him. He sat up fast, throwing the sheets aside.

"Like crap, I won't! I may be sick, but I can still kick your butt any day!" he cried, challenging her full on. Normally, Evelyn would challenge him back and it would all be settled when they laughed together and moved on with their lives. However, seeing Ed's appearance caused by the flu, she couldn't help but cringe. Sure, Edward acted like he was okay as always, but they had never seen him look so terrible. There were incredible dark circles under his eyes from lack of energy and sleep; his skin was so ashen and pale that Al thought he may have been dying; his eyes were blank and dead, having lost their luster; his voice was hoarse and rough as if his throat were dry, but then he would cough violent, wet coughs as if he was choking on water; he even coughed up blood like their teacher, Izumi, once or twice, but no one told Evelyn. That would have broken her heart. Evelyn's brows turned upward in sadness as her eyes widened in shock, and then she turned away from him.

Since he knew why she refused eye contact, he gripped her hand tightly and whispered an apology to her. Acting as if she didn't care, she turned back to him and smiled her same smile.

"No worries! It's not your fault you got sick, after all!" she said cheerfully. Ed turned and glared at his younger brother, nodding in agreement.

"That's what I keep telling Alphonse, but he won't listen!"

"That's because I know you well enough to know you disregarded your own physical health! You do that all the time!" Al cried, sitting in the chair across from them. Evelyn nodded thoughtfully and closed her eyes.

"Al has a point there. You can be pretty careless and reckless when your mind is set." She agreed, grinning. Ed turned on her, glaring.

"Hey, I thought you were on my side! What happened there?" he cried. Evelyn laughed and, with her free hand that wasn't holding his, caught his chin between her index finger and her thumb.

"Relax, babe, I'll _always_ come to your rescue." She chided, tapping him on the nose. They laughed raucously and, as they relaxed finally, cuddled up in each other's arms lovingly. Alphonse couldn't help but smile. It had been three years since Ed had managed to pull Al's body out of The Gate of Truth and return from the other side of The Gate to Amestris. Ever since the brothers were little, Al had always noticed a strong connection between Ev and Ed. He figured that, one day when they were older, the two might actually start a relationship together and discovered that they did when they turned fifteen. The two of them have been inseparable ever since then. They struggled through thick and thin together and they still managed to make their relationship last. Whenever Edward was upset, she was there to encourage him and get him back on his feet. Whenever Evelyn broke down into tears, Ed was always so kind to her and was there to wipe away her tears. She trusted him just as much as he trusted her.

Ed coughed wetly, causing Evelyn to wince. Al sighed and stood, stretching his limbs. After a satisfying crack in his back, he grinned and held out his hand to Evelyn.

"Hey, Ev, how about we go out and get some ice cream?" he suggested, meeting her bright emerald eyes. She frowned sadly and glanced at Ed, her face lined with worry. He just grinned and nodded.

"Go ahead. I'm not going anywhere. You need to get out and get some air. You've been in this room as long as I have. Besides…" he trailed off, yawning dramatically. "I need to take a nap. Maybe I'll actually get some sleep today."

"Yeah, but…" she turned her torso to him, clutching his automail hand tightly. "What if something happens while I'm gone? You need someone here to take care of you and-"

"That's what I'm here for." The three turned to the doorway to see Riza Hawkeye standing before them. She smiled kindly. "Don't worry; I'll keep an eye on Ed. I'll make sure he doesn't escape or anything."

"Geez, you make it sound like I've been incarcerated or something. Just like the Colonel would…" Ed commented, frowning at the Lieutenant. Al had always been curious as to why Ed held a grudge against the Colonel. Evelyn hesitated, biting her bottom lip. After taking in both the Lieutenant's and Ed's expressions, she sighed in defeat. She gave Ed a quick peck on the lips, then stood and nodded at Al. She bowed thankfully at Hawkeye, as did Alphonse, and they left for Central City.

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"Wow! This is delicious!" Alphonse cried, smiling as he took another big bite of sea-salt ice cream. He cringed and held his head, feeling a brain freeze coming on. Evelyn laughed and delicately lapped at hers. Sea-salt ice cream had become quite popular in Central City, all thanks to Evelyn's recipe. She and her best friend ran shop on the main street but, with Evelyn's promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, she had become too busy to help out and had no choice but to leave it to the other girl; the shop was a booming success before then and her customers were sad to see her go. However, when Evelyn had free time on her hands, she would take as many people as possible down to the shop and catch up with her former customers. It wasn't surprising that she was popular, but he hadn't realized just _how_ popular she actually was! It was almost like everyone and their mother knew who she was and she knew them as well.

Al shivered involuntarily, surprised by the sudden feeling of impending doom hanging over him. It was strange. He had just been feeling so jovial and had been having fun with Evelyn only a moment previously.

"What's wrong, Al?" Evelyn asked, concern and confusion distorting her features. Her emerald eyes darted up from Al's golden-brown ones to something behind him, and then she smiled. "Hello, Colonel Mustang. It's been a while since I've seen you down here. Did you come for ice cream?" Al whirled around in surprise, instantly meeting the cold midnight eyes of the Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang. The Colonel smiled kindly at the two, which was out of character for him. But, even more than that, there was something hidden behind that smile, something that frightened Al…something seriously sinister.

"Hey, Alphonse. Evelyn. Yeah, I was handed a huge pile of paperwork and, to be honest, I didn't feel like filling it out, so I made an excuse and came down here to kill some time," he chuckled hopelessly, scratching the back of his neck. Al's eyes narrowed at the strange bandage over the Colonel's neck, wondering what could have happened. The Colonel caught the younger Elric's gaze, and then protectively put his hand over the strange wound.

"What happened, Colonel? Were you hurt or something?" Al asked, trying to hide the suspicious tone in his voice. He shot the Colonel a look that read, _I know you're up to something and I'm going to figure it out, so don't try to hide anything from me. I'll find out._ The Colonel said nothing at first and shot a look back at Alphonse that was unreadable but sent chills running up and down his spine anyway.

"Yeah, what happened, Roy?" Evelyn asked curiously, not hesitating to speak to him so informally while still being completely oblivious the tension between the two alchemists.

"Oh, it's nothing. One of Hawkeye's warning shots just barely grazed me. Black Hayate scared her and made her jump, causing her aim to be off a little. I'm okay." The Colonel smiled reassuringly at the two young alchemists. Evelyn laughed and nodded; however, Alphonse was still unconvinced. He opened his mouth to press further, but hesitated as a frightened expression came across the Colonel's strangely pale face. By his expression, he looked as though someone had just scared the life out of him. When his midnight eyes went blank and he excused himself in a monotonous voice, he vaguely reminded Al of a zombie or a person under mind control. Mustang stiffly walked away from the two, heading back into town, and Al watched him with his head tilted to one side curiously. Evelyn followed suit.

"Um, what was that all about, Al?" Evelyn asked, looking for an answer in the younger Elric's eyes. Al shook his head, his eyes staring after the Colonel in the same manner as his older brother would. Evelyn blushed at the thought of Edward, wondering curiously how he was doing. She shook her head, convincing herself that he was well. At that same moment, Alphonse was wondering what exactly the Colonel was up to…

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Colonel Mustang's pale body shook under the pressure of the Master's voice commanding him to return. The Flame Alchemist had only recently joined the ranks of the undead as a fledgling, yet the Master still managed to find constant use of him. Roy remembered it well. The Master came to him in the dark of night, shrouded in shadows, and asked him with the voice of both a demon and an angel whether or not Roy wanted to live forever. Roy had refused at first, but froze in fear as the Master wrapped his arms around Roy's shoulders in restraint, whispering promises of becoming Fuhrer into his ear. The promises were as tempting as forbidden fruit, and Roy couldn't help but submit to his life-long dream. By the time he had realized his mistake, it was too late to back out. The Master revealed himself to be a vampire— a creature of the night, a demon in human skin- and quickly dug his fangs into the Colonel's jugular, drinking deeply until nary a drop remained in Roy's veins. However, just before the promising alchemist could die, the Master offered his own blood to the Colonel.

He pressed the side of his neck, where the bite marks had still not healed. The Master had told him, once he had woken up again, that the wounds would heal quickly, but the scars would remain since they had been inflicted on him while he was still human. From then on, every injury would vanish without a trace. Roy sighed, stopping at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Master's current hideout. Taking a deep breath, he headed up the stairs, all the way wondering about Alphonse Elric. Clearly, the young alchemist had seen through him, sensed something wrong, but had not been able to name it specifically. Roy wondered whether or not to report this fact to the Master, unable to decide if it was important information. By the time he had decided to mention it, he found himself standing before the Master's room. He hesitated, then lifted a shaking hand to knock on the door. He heard shuffling sounds on the other side of the door, then silence before he heard the Master's voice call him in.

"Enter," was the one-word command that forced the Colonel through the door. As a fledgling vampire, Roy had no choice but to obey every command he received from vampires that ranked higher than him, but the Master's word was law. Even if you mentally and emotionally tried to disobey, your body would act on its own and fulfill the Master's wishes. He approached the Master's resting place and knelt before him, bowing low. "Rise and report, Roy Mustang."

"My Lord, I have begun my investigations on the younger Elric brother and one Evelyn Hartley, as you commanded."

"And? What have you found, my child?" Roy tried to look at the Master, but the room was encased in shadows. The drapes had been drawn closed to keep out the sunlight and the Master's long hair masked his face in even darker shadows, not to mention that he had a thick blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

"I believe that Alphonse Elric may be aware that something is happening…" He heard the Master hiss as he sucked in a breath in surprise. "…but, Evelyn seems to be completely ignorant to everything. Even Alphonse cannot pinpoint his suspicions and he has no idea about you, My Lord, I swear it. He has no knowledge of your existence… or your identity." He saw the silhouette of the Master's shoulders relax in relief. The Master's bright crimson eyes seemed to pierce the darkness of the room, glowing with captivating iridescence. It was the only thing that Roy could see of the Master's face and that frightened him. An intimidating shadow with bright red eyes glaring at him from the vulnerability of the darkness… just the thought made his skin crawl with terror.

"Very well done, Mustang. You serve me well, my son." The Master stood and approached the Colonel, kneeling before him. Roy had only seen the Master's face once- on the night that he joined the league of vampires- but his beauty still captivated the Flame Alchemist. According to legend, vampires were incomparably beautiful, but he had never realized how much of an understatement it was until he had encountered the Master on that fateful night. The Master's soft, delicate hands cupped Roy's face and his eyes narrowed with the grin that spread across his face. "As a reward for your loyalty and usefulness to me, I shall allow you to feast upon some of my blood. It will make you stronger and you will be able to work even harder. I know that you love to make me happy, don't you, Roy?"

Roy nodded absentmindedly, the Master's compulsion fogging up his mind to the point where Roy could barely stay sitting up before the Master. A hungry growl escaped his lips, his lust for the crimson warmth to flow down his throat causing his fangs to ache as they slipped out of his gums. He longed to feel the sensation of the Master's blood flowing through his veins like it had on the night of his transformation, or maybe he just hadn't fed in so long that anyone's blood would satisfy his thirst. The Master chuckled darkly and leaned forward as if to embrace the fledgling, offering his neck to the famished vampire. Roy, still under the power of the compulsion, greedily sank his fangs into the Master's neck.

Mustang celebrated every little milliliter of blood that trailed down his dried out throat, the taste absolutely ravishing. The warmth of the fresh liquid filled him to the core, his hunger gradually being sated. His tongue desperately lapped up the blood, tracing the puncture wounds from which the blood flowed freely. The Flame Alchemist emitted a low guttural growl, causing some of the blood to spill over his chin and drip onto his uniform. He grasped tightly at the Master's shoulders, trying to hold him there as he drank. He felt the Master tug away from him, signaling that the feast was over. As the Master pulled his neck away, Roy whimpered defiantly and reached for the crimson warmth as if his life depended on it. An unidentified shadow joined the Master's side, gently dressing the wound with some gauze and tape; Roy had not seen this person earlier, but noticed the distinctive aura of a human emanating around the new guest. He growled protectively at the person.

"Even a man as distinguished as Colonel Mustang can be reduced to a beast when given the right encouragement," the Master laughed, waving away the human. The shadow bowed silently in respect then returned to its corner of the room where it remained hidden for the rest of the time. The Master reached out and wiped away some of the blood on Roy's chin with his index finger, causing Roy to flinch in surprise. He stuck the finger into his mouth, licking the blood from his skin, and then stood. Roy looked up at the Master, eyes wide with wonder, as he returned to his place on the bed where he had been when Roy first arrived. "You are being assigned a new mission. Since Alphonse is becoming suspicious, I will send some of my children to take care of him as well as Evelyn. You are to monitor them and makes sure that no one gets in their way. If they do, kill them. If either of the targets resists or destroys one of my children, make sure they receive the proper punishment."

"I swear, it will be done," Roy bowed low in respect. The Master chuckled and nodded, eyes glistening with pride.

"Alphonse and Evelyn should be headed to Resembool to visit Winry Rockbell as they do once every month, no? I believe that a train attack would be perfect. Alphonse has been through many of those, has he not?" The Master laughed sinisterly, a truly terrifying sound. Roy shuddered and nodded, standing as he took his leave to go.

"It shall be as you wish, My Lord," he replied, departing at last. As he descended the stairs, Roy clutched at his pounding heart and panted. Even if nothing happened, every time he had to meet with the Master, he always left feeling like he hadn't breathed in several hours. Sure, the Master was enduringly kind and generous, but he still held a mysterious air around him that struck fear into the hearts of anyone he wished. But, above all of that, the Master knew him well… and he knew the Master. They had known each other for some time, but Roy only recently discovered the Master's true form. That form… sincerely frightened him above all else.

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**Okay, kind of a short chapter, but it was pretty good. Yes, I realize that Evelyn is suspiciously oblivious, Al is just suspicious, and Roy sounds like a Death Eater from Harry Potter. I did that on purpose because it's funny to hear Roy so... submissive. (cough) Anyway, I hope you all liked it! Flames will be used to roast the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man; compliments will be accepted and enjoyed. Please, be gentle. It's my first fan fic. R&R, please and thank you!**


	2. Train Attack

**Okay, as promised, here is chapter two! I'm really excited about this one! I noticed that, whenever I write a fan fic, chapter two is always the one with the most action and bloodshed... weird. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!**

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**Chapter Two**

Al yawned and stretched, almost bored to tears having to wait for the next train that would take him to Resembool. The station master said that the train would arrive some time around eight o'clock that evening, so he and Evelyn came at a quarter 'til, but they had been waiting for an hour since then. Evelyn slept soundly beside him, catching up on her rest before having to deal with Winry's twenty-four hour antics that would keep her up all night, probably dreaming of something romantic between her and his brother. She sighed happily in her sleep and mumbled his name, confirming Al's suspicions. He looked up in time to see the train arrive on the platform… an hour and a half late, no less. The conductor apologized for his lateness, claiming some passengers were confused about what stop to get off at, and allowed Alphonse to carry the sleeping Evelyn onto the train while he gathered their luggage.

Al laid Evelyn across the seat and sat opposite to her, watching her sleep. Truly, she was very beautiful, and he was jealous that his older brother had managed to steal her heart. At one time, Alphonse had even considered taking Evelyn's heart from Ed by transmuting some kind of love potion. But, Edward had confided in him the secret of his undying love for Evelyn and Alphonse was bound not to betray his brother. Regardless of his feelings, Alphonse moved on and got over his jealousy. Evelyn's face scrunched up slightly as she opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Al remarked, smiling sweetly at her. Immediately, she sat up and looked around in alarm.

"It's morning already!" she shrieked, her hair whipping around with the movement of her head. Al laughed and shook his head, noting her dramatic reaction.

"No, it's still night time. You can relax, Evelyn," he reassured her, still smiling. She blushed in embarrassment and scratched the back of her neck. Clearly, she had surprised herself with her own reaction.

"Sorry about that! I kind of forgot where I was for a minute!" she giggled, grinning widely. By this point, several other passengers had begun to board the train and the car was beginning to fill with soft chatter. Evelyn prepared to say something, then stopped as she recognized the tail of the blue uniform from the State Military as it passed by her. She sat up straight as the soldier sat in the seat behind her with his back against hers. "What business do you have in Resembool, Lieutenant Havoc?" she asked, waving away the cigarette smoke that wafted its way over to her nostrils from the Lieutenant. Havoc puffed out a ring of smoke into the air, relaxing into his seat.

"The Colonel sent me to keep an eye you and Al during your travels," he replied, bracing himself as the train lurched forward finally for departure. Al said nothing and watched as Evelyn's emerald eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Supervision, huh? What, is Scar on the loose again or something?" she asked, flipping some of her hair over her shoulder. Havoc said nothing as he puffed another ring of smoke into the air. He sighed sadly and dabbed the cigarette butt on the arm of the seat before standing, joining Evelyn's side. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, the emerald barely visible. He grasped her hand tightly- so tightly, in fact, that her arm began to shake- and looked her straight in the eyes.

"No. Scar has been taken care of for a while, as you well know. This is something far more terrible than a psycho Ishvalan with a God complex. The Colonel wants to protect you and Alphonse from something truly terrible that lurks within the shadows of this world." His serious answer frightened Al severely, but it didn't seem to make Evelyn even blink. She looked down at her white-knuckled hand and back at the Lt.'s blue eyes. Her pinks lips curled into a smile, and she burst into laughter, holding her gut. Clearly, she had taken his warning as a joke.

"So, what you're telling me is that something _even worse than Scar_ is out to get us! How funny is that!" Then, without warning, she pulled out a smooth wooden stake out of nowhere and stabbed him right in the chest. The Lt. screamed and fell backwards, gawking at the strange weapon with a mixture of surprise and fury plain on his face. Evelyn stood and lightly placed her foot on the stake, just barely driving it deeper into his chest. Dark blood- almost black from the quantity- gushed from the wound and formed an ever-growing pool beneath him. Nearby passengers screamed in terror at the sight, but Havoc just screamed in agony.

"Evelyn, what did you just do! Do you realize who you just attacked and are currently torturing!" Al cried, standing as well. She nodded and, without turning to him, answered simply.

"Yes, of course I know. If it was really Havoc, I wouldn't have done anything. But, this is no human… he's a vampire. A beast. A monster in human flesh." She growled angrily as she replied, stepping off of Havoc. She turned to face the other passengers and loudly announced, "I know there is more than just one vampire on this train! Come out and face me like the men you once were!" As if by command, four more passengers rose from their seats while seven more entered the car from ahead. A grin similar to that of Ed's whenever he was facing a challenge spread across her lips as her eyes darted between the demons that steadily approached her. Havoc stood and painfully ripped the stake out of his heart, swearing as fangs slipped over his lips.

"Whatever. Regardless of your knowledge of what we are, you'll die anyway!" he hissed, his blue eyes fading into bright crimson. Alphonse backed up to the door while Evelyn remained unfazed. "It is the Master's will." This statement made Evelyn's eyes widen in surprise. Whoever this Master was, she clearly had been caught off guard by the mentioning of him, giving Havoc some time to take a vicious swipe at her neck with a claw-shaped hand. She just barely dodged, escaping with a minor scratch on her cheek, as she grabbed Al's hand and rushed him toward the back of the train.

"Hang on! What was that all about, Evelyn? What were they?" Alphonse asked, trying to keep up with his friend's hurried steps.

"Exactly as I said! They were vampires! Creatures of the night who seek the blood of humans to sustain themselves! Nearly immortal to everything that can kill a human, apart from a few items. Clearly, my hypothesis of a leader behind them all was correct. Someone who they call 'the Master' is the handing out the orders and creating them. I need to find him and kill him… before any more lives are lost," she explained, slowing as they got closer to the back cars.

"They really do drink human blood!" Al exclaimed, making a sick face. Evelyn nodded and carefully dabbed away the blood from the scratch given to her by Havoc with a handkerchief. Placing the little napkin back into her pocket, she turned to Alphonse with a look of urgency in her eyes.

"We can't take any chances. Obviously, neither you nor I am a vampire. For safety reasons, we can only trust each other during this venture. You must believe that everyone on this train, besides us, is a vampire and must be dealt with thoroughly. Do not hesitate to kill a vampire, no matter who it is. Show no mercy. If you sympathize with them, they could trick you into offering your neck… and they could kill you. Do you understand?" She handed the younger Elric a smooth wooden stake, a gun, and two magazines of wooden bullets. Al hesitated, then strapped the vampire-killing weapons across his back and waited for further instructions. Evelyn's expression softened a little. "I know that this won't make you happy, but your life is at stake. When you have to kill a vampire, think of it as self-defense. Whatever will make you feel better." Al nodded, gaining more confidence.

"I won't back down. I've been through many things in my lifetime, especially while I was in that armor, and nothing like this is going to slow me now," Al stated, clenching his hands into fists as his confidence overflowed. Evelyn nodded at him, smiling as sweetly as she could.

"We'll do this the same we did when our train was hijacked by those thugs. I'll take the top of the train while you take them out from below. Got it?" She chucked a thumbs-up at Al, who replied with a meek nod. After tossing a quick "Be on your guard," over her shoulder at Alphonse, Evelyn climbed on top of the train and ventured forward to face off against the league of the undead.

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Roy stood nervously at the Master's side as they watched the young alchemists' train pass by. Just before the caboose came into view, the two leapt into the air and over onto the train using their superhuman agility that would make gymnasts weep with joy. Roy kind of stumbled on his landing, but the Master landed neatly on his feet, almost floating down to the train's roof. Roy stared at the Master, waiting for his command. The Master's cloak whipped around him with the intense winds while he thought, tightly wrapped around his shoulders so as to conceal him while only revealing his eyes beneath its hood. The Master turned to Roy and stared at him for a moment, his crimson eyes lost in the depths of his thoughts.

"Gather up the fledglings and bring them to me. They no longer need to pursue the children. I'm going to send in the tank," he said finally. Roy flinched in fear at both the Master's tone and his statement.

"My lord, you don't mean…?" he asked cautiously, sincerely hoping and praying that the Master did not mean what he thought.

"Yes. Let's see how they get a taste of _him_," the Master answered simply, snapping his fingers. On cue, a large bulking figure hopped onto the train at the Master's side and bowed low in deep respect. The Master raised his hand- so small and delicate, the hand of a child almost- signaling the mass to stand. With the Master's apparent lack of height, the figure looked even more like a giant than usual. Roy swallowed hard, his recently quenched throat suddenly drying once more in fear.

"You called, My Lord?" The figure's voice was loud and deep, yet held a tint of gentleness underneath. The Master had to look up at a ninety-degree angle just to catch a glimpse of his face.

"Yes, I did. I need you to take care of our latest targets… Major Armstrong," the Master sneered, eyes narrowing with his smirk. The Major nodded, his single blond curl bouncing with the movement. "Can you handle killing them without spilling too much of their blood? It'll be easier to clean up the mess that way. Plus, I don't want everyone to lose their heads over the scent." The Master turned away from Armstrong and proceeded to descend down into the luggage car beneath him. The Major courteously skipped his usual ranting about his skills 'being passed down the Armstrong family line for many generations' and nodded obediently.

"It'll be done as you wish, Master… I have only one question…" The Master froze, and then ascended once again to meet the Major's gaze.

"Well? Speak. What is it that you are curious about?" he asked, eyes narrowing into thin slivers of red. The Major swallowed hard and hesitated, thinking about his question rather than asking it. Since the Master's blood was still in Roy's system, he had gained the temporary ability to pick up on the thoughts of others.

"The Major is wondering when you intend to make your grand entrance and reveal yourself to the kids," Roy recited, quoting the Major's thought word for word. The Master blinked slowly, then burst into laughter. Roy remembered this laughter from the many times he had been near when Roy was called 'useless'. It was a very familiar laugh that used to make his day become better, but now it only made his skin crawl with apprehension.

"All in good time, my child, all in good time," the Master replied, his voice dripping venom and excitement all at once. Armstrong nodded as the Master descended once more, then proceeded to head toward the back of the train.

"Major Armstrong," Roy called, stopping him in his tracks. The large, muscled man turned to look at his former superior officer.

"Colonel… protect the Master with your life. He may be a pureblood, incredibly strong, and immune to everything that would kill a man, but he's still only a child. He needs protection from someone like you who can supply it. Please…" the Major begged, his eyes pleading. The Colonel stared into those eyes that had returned to their normal blue with his own normal midnight eyes. He sighed, smirking.

"You remember the things I did back in Ishval. I could destroy a single city with one snap of the fingers. But, the Master… he's far more powerful than I could ever even dream. Regardless of this fact, I will protect him with all of my power within me. Even if it gets me punished… or killed… I'll keep him safe," the Colonel replied, saluting his friend the same way he did whenever they went of to battle. The Major saluted him back, then headed off into the darkness of the night toward the location of the two young alchemists. _Yes,_ Roy thought as he followed after the Master,_ he is far more powerful than I am. But, like you said, he is still only a child and needs the protection of an adult. That… is the conviction that I'm going to follow._

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Evelyn braced herself against the turbulence that nearly threw her off of the roof of the train. She had seen Edward do it several times, but she found the art of train walking to be a skill that she had yet to master. She swore about her foul luck as a large shadow shuffled toward her from the darkness of the night. She looked up, meeting the bright crimson eyes of…

"Major Alex Louis Armstrong… a fledgling," she stated simply, addressing the Major with strange formality. He smirked, flashing his fangs at her, and pulsed his muscles so strongly that his shirt exploded.

"Indeed! Behold, the newly reborn beauty of an Armstrong with the strength of a vampire! See how intense the veins are traced within the carefully sculpted muscles! Feel how they pulse so sincerely with the inhuman power of the children of the night!" he ranted, striking a pose as his muscles continued to pulse. Evelyn sighed hopelessly.

"Vampire or human, you really haven't changed, Major. It'll be a true pity to kill you," she said, arming herself with twin semi-automatic pistols loaded to the brim with wooden bullets- a fact which was unknown to the Major. He harrumphed sarcastically and struck the roof of the train, transmuting several metal spikes to pierce through her. He looked at Evelyn.

"Witness, the beauty of the artistic alchemy that has been passed down the Armstrong family line for MANY GENERATIONS!" he cried, eyes widening with intensity. Evelyn easily dodged the attack, cart wheeling to the side as the spikes disappeared once again in an alchemical reaction. The Major stood up straight, as did Evelyn, and the two stared at each other for some time.

"Who is your Master?" Evelyn asked without hesitation, hands clenched tightly around her pistols at her sides. Armstrong flinched momentarily, giving Evelyn the opening she needed. She rushed forward, pistols in hand, and leap over the Major. She fired mercilessly at him, several bullets entering his skull. He gasped in pain, smacking her down to the roof with a large hand. Her spine made hard contact with the surface, causing her to gasp. She rolled onto her stomach, coughing as she tried to catch her breath. She wiped the blood from her lip and stood once more, pointing a pistol at his heart.

"You weren't always so cruel, Miss Evelyn," Armstrong commented, wiping the blood from his forehead. Evelyn said nothing, but glared at him.

"You weren't always so cruel yourself, Major," she shot back mercilessly, no longer caring who it was she pointed her gun at. "I'll ask you once again. Who is your Master?"

"You won't be able to defeat him. He's too strong for you. Besides, once you learn who he really is, you may not even want to kill him."

"What's that supposed to mean!" Evelyn cried, shooting at him a few more times. Armstrong didn't try to dodge and took the shots full on. "Who is he! Tell me now or, I swear to God, I'll kill you!"

"I can't. I am unable to do so. The Master forbids it… and I have no choice but to obey," he answered, holding his hands up. Evelyn's gaze turned as fierce as humanly possible and she sighed in annoyance.

"Tch. Fine. If you have 'no choice but to obey', then that means that he is a pureblood, right? A vampire from birth, right?" she asked, inching closer to him. Armstrong nodded, thinking it wise not to speak to her lest he be shot again. Her emerald eyes were burning with fury and ferocity, but tears of sorrow spilled over her cheeks. She didn't want this… at all. "You were my friend, Major. You've saved my life more than once in the past. You've nursed me and the Elric brothers back to health. You've supported us. I really don't want to kill you…" she trailed off, her gun lowering slightly. Armstrong relaxed a little, his old compassionate side showing again.

"Miss Evelyn…" he reached for her, his intent being to comfort her the way he used to whenever she came crying to him. Evelyn glared hatefully at him and tightened her wrist, aiming the gun at his heart once more.

"You were my friend at one time… but no longer."

* * *

Alphonse flinched at the sound of gunshots overhead. Clearly, Evelyn had run into someone. He prayed that their tormented soul would rest in peace in the afterlife and continued toward the front cars. Strangely, he hadn't come across any vampires since earlier, and he was nearing the engine. Several of the passengers had given him strange looks as he passed by, but he was almost completely ignored otherwise. He looked around nervously, wondering how he would figure out whether or not someone was a vampire. Was there something on their exterior that would give them away? Would he get some kind of sixth sense that could track them? He sighed, noting how his curiosity was sounding more and more like something from a fantasy novel. This was no fantasy, though, he realized. This was, most definitely, real.

He carefully walked across the walkway that connected the two cars as he moved into the first class cabin. However, he hadn't been expecting the party of vampires to be waiting for him in the first class section. There had to be close to twenty- no, thirty- vampires standing before him, most of them wearing military uniforms. He recognized a few faces among them- Lieutenant Havoc, Master Sergeant Fuery, even Colonel Mustang- but they meant nothing to him at the moment. Alphonse Elric's attention was fixed on the vampire in the middle of the group that was cloaked in red. He grimaced, the color reminding him of what vampires craved most.

"Who are you? What do you want with us? Why are you trying to kill us? What did we ever do to you?" Al asked, fear causing his heart to pound in his chest. The red-clad vampire said nothing, fueling the tension between the two of them. The two stared at one another, meeting each other gazes, in an invisible battle- the golden-brown of Alphonse versus the bright crimson of the vampire. Then, slowly yet gracefully, the vampire stood, which caused several of the other vampires to lurch forward protectively. He held up a hand, silently commanding the other vampires to fall back, as he approached the young alchemist. The vampire stood tall over the younger Elric brother, but not by much. Al's head was tilted upward by a slight angle as he tried to identify the face of the vampire. Then, to the shock of everyone including Alphonse, the vampire reached out and embraced the boy.

"Alphonse…" the vampire whispered, hugging the alchemist tightly. Instantly, Alphonse recognized the voice of the mysterious vampire, and his eyes widened in surprise and anger. _No… it can't be! I thought that he was… this is impossible! No! I won't believe it! He isn't…_ Al screamed in his head. The younger Elric looked up at the vampire slowly, tears filling his eyes.

"N…Nii-san?" he asked, hoping and praying that it wasn't true. Al reached up and removed the hood that shrouded his face. As the crimson hood fell back, Alphonse gasped and took in the face of the one who had embraced him. It was his older brother… the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric.

"Hey, Al… I'm feeling better now," Ed said cheerfully, smiling at his brother. Al shook his head, trying to back out of the embrace. Ed's grip held firm, keeping his younger brother trapped in his arms. Ed rested his ice-cold chin on top of Al's head, burying his face into his younger brother's hair. He inhaled deeply, his brother's scent filling his lungs and stimulating his fangs. Regardless of the fact that Al was his younger brother, Edward truly yearned to taste his blood.

"Nii-san… your sickness… I thought that…" Al whimpered, wincing as Ed's grip on his shoulders tightened painfully.

"That's what happens when a vampire doesn't feed for a while," Ed explained, pulling away to look into his brother's eyes which were overflowing with tears that refused to fall. Ed smiled sadly at his brother, looking him straight in the eye. Al tried desperately to look away, refusing to look at the menacing pools of crimson, but found himself captivated by the sight of them and couldn't help but look deep into them. Al knew well what his brother was, but found that he still trusted him in that form. Edward ruffled Al's hair like he would always do in the past and let his hand slowly slide down his brother's face until it rested over his jaw. The touch sent chills across Al's skin and he shuddered, his eyelids fluttering halfway closed. Al felt like he was drifting through subconsciousness, and he was struggling to stay awake.

"Nii…san…" he mumbled, his sight blurring slightly. Ed put a finger to his brother's lips, shushing him. Al's head was swimming and his thoughts became fuzzy; even still, he continued to keep his eyes locked onto his brother's. Ed held Al's chin between his thumb and index finger, keeping Al facing him even as the younger Elric began to fall limp in his brother's arms. Ed leaned close into his brother's face; the only thing separating them was a few centimeters of air. Al blushed lightly as he felt his brother's breath in his face and let his head fall back a little, exposing his neck to Ed. Ed eyed the blue veins that were lined in Al's neck, tracing them delicately with his index finger.

"I've been so hungry lately, Al, so thirsty," Ed whispered seductively, letting his cold lips gently graze Al's skin as he dipped his head down to his brother's neck. Al moaned involuntarily, clutching at his brother's black tank top. This was the surrender that Ed had been waiting for. Somewhere within him, his humanity- or, rather, what was left of it- screamed about how wrong this was to seduce his own brother into giving him blood. By this point, he no longer cared, and his humanity seemed nothing more than an annoying voice in the back of his mind. This was the way of the vampire, and it took no sides, no exceptions. Blood was blood, no matter who it came from. Edward hissed hungrily as his fangs protruded over his lips. Al had already been lost to the power of compulsion, so Ed had no need to worry about anything. He gently pressed the tips his fangs against his brother's jugular, preparing to penetrate the pulsing blood vessel. His lips curled into a victorious smirk.

Then, just as everyone expected the younger Elric brother to become dinner, Evelyn burst into the car from the roof above, landing in the middle of the room. Ed, momentarily distracted, whirled around to look at the intruder. Evelyn stood and mercilessly pointed both pistols at his heart. Several vampires leapt in front of her, guarding him. She simply smirked and shook her head.

"So, you're the one the vampires call 'the Master', Edward? Pity," she scoffed. Edward swore silently under his breath and passed the half-conscious Alphonse over to Roy, who carried him over to the chair and set him down. Al's head fell forward, unconsciousness finally seizing him. Recomposing himself, Ed parted the group of protective vampires and stepped forward until Evelyn's guns were touching his chest. She showed no intent of backing down, but her hands shook violently. Edward looked down on her, glaring viciously. Her hateful expression flickered momentarily, only noticeable by those who were paying attention.

"Yes, I am. How is that a pity, Evelyn?" he hissed. She smirked, an expression that reminded Edward of himself.

"It's a pity because I came here on a mission to kill the Master of the vampires. As I can see, you recently recovered from whatever trauma you were dealing with before, finally able to move on with your life, only to have it ended by me," she answered confidently. Ed smiled at her, reaching out to cup her cheek. She smacked it away, baring her teeth. "Don't you dare touch me!" she shrieked. A shocked expression came across Ed's face for a spilt second before disappearing again.

"Do you really want to kill me, Evelyn?" he asked, meeting her gaze head on.

"Of course I do. And, don't try to use compulsion on me because it won't work. I never told you this, but my family has been working in the vampire-hunting business for centuries, ever since before the fall of Xerxes. We've been building up our immunity to vampiric powers, a technique that has been passed down my family line and will continue to be so!" Ed blinked slowly, caught off-guard by her answer. His crimson eyes narrowed sinisterly at her.

"Fine. Go ahead. Kill me. But, know this, Evelyn Hartley. If you kill me, my life won't be the only one that's lost." Evelyn heard a low whimper behind her, and she turned to see Al's head tilted painfully to one side with Roy Mustang's fangs hanging only inches over his exposed throat. Her emerald eyes widened sharply, and she whirled around to look at Ed again.

"You monster! You would kill your own brother!" she spat, horrified. Edward laughed mockingly at her, causing her to flinch.

"Since you seem bound and determined to see blood shed, I'll leave you with two choices. One; you shoot me, Roy kills Al, and everyone else kills you. Two; you _don't_ shoot me, Al _doesn't_ die…" he trailed off. With a single movement unable to be tracked with the human eye, Ed disarmed her and managed to get behind her, wrapping his automail arm around her waist and tilting her head up with his free hand. He leaned close to her ear and finished, "…you marry me and I'll turn you into a vampire." Evelyn's eyes widened momentarily, then narrowed again.

"You know, I was imagining your proposing to me to be a little more romantic and little less dangerous," she remarked, smirking. Ed laughed his usual laugh, which made Evelyn shudder with hatred.

"Well, given the circumstances, I've had to improvise a little. What's your answer?" he asked, growing impatient.

"My answer is that you can just go and get yourself set on fire, you filthy bloodsucker!" she sneered, struggling out of his grip. He sighed hopelessly and shook his head, releasing her. She fell onto her knees, coughing, and watched as he turned to look at the Colonel.

"You heard the lady," was all that he said. Roy nodded and, hissing viciously, dug his fangs deep into Al's neck. By then, Al had finally recovered from the compulsion and was just barely awake from exhaustion. As the fangs penetrated his jugular, his golden-brown eyes shot open, and he emitted a blood-curdling scream. As Roy drank deeply, he held the younger Elric brother completely still and left him with nothing to do but cry out in agony. Edward watched as his brother was put through this agony, but made no move to help him. As far as Edward was concerned, his brother was just another human, another beast lined up for the slaughter. Al's eyes met Evelyn's, the tears finally spilling over his cheeks as he desperately reached for her.

"ALRIGHT! Alright! I'll do it!" Evelyn cried, stumbling back onto her feet. Ed turned his head just enough to look over his shoulder at her. She hung her head, her bangs hiding her face from view. "I'll do it. I'll marry you. I'll become a vampire. Just please…" she trailed off, hugging herself. She looked up at him again, tears streaming from her brilliant emerald eyes. "Please… Let Al go. Let him live. Don't kill him… I'm begging you." Edward stared at her for a moment, then smiled.

"I knew you would come to see my side, Evelyn. You were always so stubborn, but... nothing I can't handle," he said simply. Within seconds, he was at Evelyn's side, pressing the pressure point in her neck. Her emerald eyes rolled into the back of her head with a stfiled moan as she fell forward. Edward held out his arm in time to catch her, then lazily threw her over his shoulder.

"E-Evelyn?" Al gasped, looking up at his brother through blurred eyes. Whether his eyes were blurred by the pain or the tears induced by the pain, he wasn't sure. _Brother, why...? Why would you do this to us after everything that happened on our journey? I thought you..._

Edward looked over at Al with unimpressed crimson eyes, as if he had picked up on Al's thoughts. He smiled sadly at the younger Elric and crouched before him, his eyes locked on the golden-brown before him. He reached out and gently carressed Al's fevered cheek that was still slightly stained with blood. "Al, you know I love you. This is what I am. You need to learn to accept that, little brother." Ed stood and prepared to leave, but was stopped by Al's sputtering.

"W-what if... I d-don't want to... accept it?" Al asked through the unconsciousness that was starting to seep through. Ed hesitated, then let out a dark chuckle as he looked over his shoulder at Al. The expression on his face was pure evil, dangerous even.

"If that is indeed the case... then I won't waste one second to kill you. Brothers or not, you are capable of being a nuisance. That is a risk I am not willing to take," he replied. He turned away again, and Al could just barely make out a look of... was it hurt? Regret? Dispair? "For what I'm asking for," Al heard his brother mumble as he left, "I want to make sure that no one else gets hurt." Al felt himself being released by the Colonel, and his body fell forward off of the chair, having no more strength to hold himself upright. As he watched the vampires leave at last, his eyes fluttered closed... as the tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

* * *

**That was a really dark chapter... o.O Okay, so, yeah... Ed is a vampire... He didn't hesitate to hurt Al and Ev... Wow, he is evil, yet... somehow still sexy. XD Okay, so, the part where Ed was starting to drink Al's blood, I realize that is seemed very Elricest-ish, but it's not. That was just, in my mind, typical vampire behavior. So, no, Elricest will not be a part of this story. It's just a vampire trying to get his next meal. Well, I hope you all liked it! R&R, please and thank you!**


	3. Al's Plan

**Omigawd, thanks to all of you who read! Thanks to Henai in particular for leaving the first review and making my day absolutely fantastic! I loved your review and, hopefully, your questions will be answered in this chapter! By the way, I would like to inform my readers that Ed's theme song for this particular fan fic is Still Doll by Kanon Wakeshima, which was featured as the first ending song for the Vampire Knight anime. To those who could and couldn't review, thank you so much! Usually, I abandon as story just as the going gets good, but you all inspired me to keep writing! Hope you enjoy! (bows) Also, sorry if Evelyn seems Mary-Sue-ish. I didn't find out what a Mary-Sue was until after she had already been created... XP**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Al could vaguely feel the sensation of someone shaking his shoulder, but his body still felt too heavy to actually try and see who it was shaking him. He groaned in defiance, his brows scrunching together. He tucked into himself, mumbling something about wanting to sleep in for ten more minutes. Despite his efforts, the insistent shaking continued until he finally struggled into a sitting position.

"I'm up, I'm up... Geez, Brother, gimme a break..." he mumbled tiredly, completely oblivious to his current location and situation. He rubbed his golden-brown eyes as they slowly blinked and took in his surroundings. He could vaguely pick out voices above him- two, female, one old and one young- and he could feel the stickiness of a bandage of some sort on the side of his neck.

"Poor Al... he has no idea, does he?" he heard the younger female whisper to someone.

"I wonder if he'll remember at all..." the older woman's voice answered, sounding concerned. _Remember what? _he wondered, trying to clear his mind. Where was he, anyway? Why was everything so damn blurry? Wait, that voice... was it...?

"Winry? Granny?" he asked sluggishly, rubbing his eyes once more. He heard them sigh in relief and felt his airways cut off momentarily, most likely from a crushing Winry hug. His eyes shot open in surprise as he gasped and coughed, clawing at the- as he now saw- heavily weeping girl that clutched onto him. Now that he had been shocked in consciousness, he could clearly make out his surroundings. He looked around, seeming to forget Winry for a minute. _That's strange... _he mused, confused. _When and how did I get to Winry's place? _He took a moment to try and remember what happened to him. He could remember heading to Winry's, true enough, but he had been traveling with Evelyn... Then, something happened on the train... It was...

"Al? Are you okay?" Winry's voice cut through his reverie like a knife, bringing him back into reality as he realized he had remained silent for several moments. He cursed internally, noting how close he had been to remembering.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he gasped as she released him, clutching at the foreign bandage on his neck. He held the hand there for a moment or two, then his golden-brown eyes shot open. Oh, God. He remembered. "Winry, how did I get here!" he asked the startled blond suddenly, his eyes staring intently into her sapphire eyes that widened as his face drew closer to hers. She jumped slightly at the volume and the severity of his tone, but shook her head.

"I-I'm not sure. You were just here in my bed when I came upstairs and y-you were bleeding really bad... I didn't know what else to do, so I just..." she trailed off, her eyes brimming with tears. Al's stomach clenched in distress, and he gently patted her shoulder. He sighed internally; he hated when she started crying, especially when it was his fault. He had made her cry so many time in the past, and each time weighed heavier and heavier on his heart.

"D-don't cry, Winry. It's okay. I'm okay now. I promise..." Al trailed off, biting his bottom lip. Winry wiped her eyes and looked at Al, trying her hardest to stay strong. Al couldn't help but smile at her. She tried to smile back, but ended up twisting her face into a strange expression. Al simply laughed and pulled her into a quick embrace, one which she returned with the same amount of affection.

"Aw, how sweet," they heard someone sneer behind them. Al winced, then whirled around to face the speaker. His eyes narrowed at the red-clad vampire that leaned casually against the wall, smirking sarcastically.

"Edward!" Winry cried excitedly, smiling and stumbling to her feet as she prepared to run to him. Al's heart stopped momentarily in fear, and he managed to grab Winry's wrist in time before she took more than one step toward the monster that used to be his brother. Her smile slowly disappeared as she looked down to see Al's frightened expression, then turned back to look at Ed. His eyes, currently in their normal gold state, seemed to lazily scrutinize her, but he didn't seem to care otherwise.

"What do you want? Why are you here?" Al asked fiercely, glaring at the older blond. Ed uncrossed his arms and stood up straight, shifting his weight to his right side while placing his hand on his hip in a way that looked strangely feminine.

"Relax, little brother, I'm just here to inform you about Evelyn's current status," he replied sincerely, smiling at Winry. The smile was quite kind, but it never reached his eyes. The automail engineer flinched away, shuddering under the expression. This only made him smile more. Al started forward, baring his teeth.

"Al, what's going on?" Pinako asked, looking between the two Elric brothers. Al didn't answer. In fact, as far as he was concerned, Edward was the only other person in the room.

"What have you done with Ev?" Al cried, nearly jumping out of the bed. After all that he and his brother had gone through within the past few hours, Al really wanted to tear the vampire apart. He wanted to shove his hand into Ed's chest and pull his beating heart- if he had one at all- right out of the cavity, watching it pulse blood over his hands as the vampire fell to the floor and writhed in pain. He wanted to squeeze every last drop of that hot crimson liquid out of the pulsing organ and watch it form a pool on the wood floor at his feet. He could see all of the blood he had imagined that would flow so freely from that empty chest as Ed lay dying before him, more of the crimson liquid spilling over his chin... Al flinched and clutched at his own chest, his own heart pounding excitedly against his ribcage. The longing he felt toward wanting to be covered head to toe in blood was almost painful... He wanted it. He needed it. His desire for blood was so powerful, he licked his lips hungrily. At the sight of this, Edward threw his head back and emitted a crazed laugh.

"Look at yourself, Alphonse! I know what you're thinking of! I've seen that expression a thousand times over!" he cackled, smiling darkly at the younger Elric. Al blinked, unsure what he had just been thinking about moments previously. The only thing he could comprehend was Ed taking slow and deliberate steps toward him, as well as Winry and Pinako slowly shrinking away.

"W-what?" Al asked no one in particular, getting onto his feet as he physically shielded the Rockbells behind him. Ed ran a hand through his hair, then extended it toward his little brother as he continued forward.

"You have it. The look in your eyes says it all."

"Have... what?" Al stuttered, stepping back slightly. Ed chuckled evilly, which brought forth a frightened whimper from Winry. His eyes returned to their natural crimson slits and fangs emerged through his terrifying smile.

"I can explain it to you, Al. I can tell you everything you ever wanted to know. You just have to do one thing for me, one simple task..." Ed trailed off, the request coming to Al through the silence. Al's golden-brown eyes widened as he shook his head.

"No. No, I won't! I won't become a monster like you!" he cried, growing furious. What was Ed suggesting? Ed's smile disappeared as his hand returned to his side. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck, taking a step back.

"Fine. Have it your way!" Ed replied, turning around as he threw his hands over his head in defeat. He paused, then continued, "As for Evelyn, she's fine. Still as feisty as ever, screaming profanities and throwing shoes at me whenever I approach her-"

"Which you deserve, you damned beast," Al shot at the vampire.

"- But, she may not be in the same situation later, so... be careful. Every decision you make will effect her." Ed finished, seeming to have ignored Al's outburst. He half-turned back to his brother, an expectant look in his crimson cat-like eyes. "You have one last chance, little brother. You can join my family and live peacefully with us.'

"There is no way in hell I would ever join you and your demon legion!" Al retorted with a second thought. "Just leave, monster!" Winry glanced down at Al nervously, her expression suggesting that she was wondering what had happened between the two brothers that would cause so much animosity between them. Ed frown for the first time and turned away from Al, his head hanging slightly.

"Monster, huh? That's interesting. As a pureblood, vampire runs in my veins from birth. So, if I'm as much of a 'monster' as you say..." The vampire looked over his shoulder at Al, smiling insanely once more, seeming to laugh mockingly. "Then you, my dear little brother, are the same." With that, the image of the Fullmetal Alchemist disappeared before their very eyes. Al hesitated for a moment longer, then relaxed and fell to his knees. Winry crouched down beside him, her eyes searching his face for some sort of explanation. The younger Elric brother was panting and sweating from the fear he had bottled up during that entire conversation, his heart still pounding against his chest cavity. Never in his entire life- not when the Homunculi threatened to kill him, not when he had nearly been used as a test subject by Shou Tucker, not ever- had Alphonse Elric ever felt so scared. Winry continued to watch Al, tears brimming in her eyes.

"That's it! I'm calling the military!" Pinako cried angrily, heading over to the phone.

"No, don't'! He's already changed half the military into his pawns anyway!" Al cried, stopping the older engineer dead in her tracks. "Besides, even if you did manage to contact someone, they would have a hard time believing your story about brother being a vampire." Pinako growled under her breath, then sighed in defeat. She sat down on the bed that had been previously used for Al and held her head in her hands, trying desperately to think of a way to help but coming up short.

"Alphonse... He said he was a pureblood, right?" Winry asked suddenly, her voice cracking on 'pureblood'. Both Al and Pinako looked at her, waiting for her point. "I read about vampires in a book I found at a store once, and it said that purebloods are vampires from birth. That would mean that either one or both of your parents were vampires." Al flinched at the thought and tore his eyes away from hers. If that was the truth, he felt that he was better off not knowing for sure.

"Yeah.." was all that he could of to say in response, which Winry immediately took as an invitation to continue.

"That would make you a pureblood, as well," she finished without remorse. Al's eyes shot open so wide that it seemed as though his eyeballs would fall right out of their sockets. _Me... a vampire! _he screamed internally. _No! I can't be a vampire! I just can't! She has to be wrong! _Despite his hoping that it wasn't true, all of the pieces fit together in this large and chaotic puzzle.

"B-b-but that... How... Why am I human right now, then?" he practically whispered, his eyes begging Winry for an answer. Winry stood up straight, seeming to beam with the confidence in the information she was supplying. She had always been an avid reader of vampire books, and she was quite proud that all of that reading was finally paying off.

"Well, vampires tend to develop their abilities and blood lust around the young age of ten, but they don't actually mature until eighteen. However, their abilities must be awakened by the vampire drinking the blood of another pureblood from the same family lines, such as a parent or sibling. If this were true in Ed's case, then he most likely got the blood from one of your parents."

"But," Pinako intervened, "Hohenheim had already left town, and Trisha had already died. So, how could he have gotten the blood?"

"No, Dad wasn't gone yet..." Al added, managing to climb to his feet. "He came back to the house one day... At first, I thought at first I was just imagining it, but now that I think about it, he was really there. Ed got the blood from Dad." Winry nodded in agreement.

"That would makes sense. When did you see your dad, Al?"

"About two days before we transmuted Mom."

"Did you and Ed ever know anything about vampires before then?"

"Not anymore than the stuff from legends. Why?"

"That would explain why you never knew about your heritage as a pureblood beforehand. If Hohenhiem told Ed right before the change happened, then that sort information would be enough to make a child of that age lose their mind... Which would explain his erratic behavior from earlier." Winry stayed silent for a moment, then cleared her throat through the awkward silence. "Since you were nine at the time, you weren't ready to become a pureblood just yet. By the time you were ready, you were already in the armor. That is why you are still human. Because, by the time you got your body back, you were unable to become a pureblood." Winry crossed her arms over her chest, seeming quite proud of herself for figuring this out on her own. Al absentmindedly bit on his knuckle as he nodded.

"That makes a lot of sense. Wait, my vampire blood was never awakened, but it's still there, right? I know that vampires from the same bloodline can't feed on each other because their blood is poison to each other, right?" Al asked, meeting Winry's gaze directly. She nodded, giving him a curious look. A determined expression came across his face as his hands balled into fists. "Then, I know how to beat him and save Evelyn. It'll be risky, but if I can get him to drink my blood, maybe it'll finish him."

"Al, that'll kill him!" Winry cried worriedly, starting toward him.

"You think I don't know that?" Al shot back, glaring at her in frustration. She flinched for a moment, then relaxed. "I know the risks. But, you know what? I'd rather have Ed die than live forever as a vampire! As far as I'm concerned, he died the day he accepted his heritage." He relaxed into a smile and nodded a thanks to the two Rockbells as he headed downstairs.

"Al, where are you going?" Pinako asked as the two automail engineers followed close behind him.

"To the city underneath Central. I'm sure that's where he's keeping her hidden. It seems almost... fitting." Al answered, pulling on his shoes that were waiting patiently for him beside the front door. "He's probably expecting me, so rest assured, he'll have his hoard waiting to attack when I arrive. It's a dangerous route, but it's one I'm quite familiar with. After all..." He smiled at Winry as he headed toward the front door. "It's the same path Brother and I walked during our journey to get our bodies back to normal." With those last words as a farewell, Al pulled open the door and headed off in the direction of the Resembool train station. Winry stared after him, the newly rising sun spreading it's warm rays across the light-parched land while a light breeze blew by her.

"Granny... is this all I'm good for? Staying behind and waiting for them to come home?" Winry asked Pinako, tears spilling over her cheeks once more. Pinako sighed and smiled sadly, grasping her granddaughter's hand tightly.

"It's all we can do for them. All their lives, we've always waited for them to come back. They always do. All we can do is wait... and hope." Winry let out a low laugh of relief and used her free hand to wipe away her tears.

"Let's pray that it's enough to bring them all back home safe... and human."

* * *

**(weeping heavily) That was a really sad chapter! At least, for me it was! (stops crying) Well, I hope it was good and that all questions were answered! Naturally, since Winry is always reading automail manuals, I thought I may as well make her read other books as well. Someone had to explain how Al was still human, so I made it be Winry! Yay for our little bookworm! (claps) Anyway, R&R, please and thank you! Expect the next chapter to be up sometime before Christmas! The next chapter will have more info on how Evelyn is, so don't worry. Everything will be explained. And, no, Twilight fans, Edward Elric will not turn out all Cullen later. Thank you to all who are reading! I hope you all llike and stay posted! Arigato gozaimasu! (bows)**


	4. Preparation

**Well, here we are! Chapter four! YAY! I'm so happy that I've been dedicated enough to get this far! Thank you, readers! (bows deeply) Okay, so, I promised my friend that we would find out what happened to Evelyn in this chapter, so here it is, you impatient little... ANYWAY! To those who read, thanks. To those who reviewed, thanks. To those who favorite, thanks. Also, I would like to inform you that I have written out a plot plan for the story and you can expect this story to be about eight chapters long. Maybe more, but not less. Okay, now, onto the story! Lotsa love! XD**

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**Chapter Four **

Evelyn stared blankly out the window of her prison of a room, her mind having wandered to Alphonse. It had been at least several days since she saw him last, and she was dreadfully worried about the younger alchemist. Where was he? Was he still alive out there? Why was she stuck in this hellhole when she wanted to be out there fighting? Well, it wasn't exactly a 'hellhole' like she wanted to believe. In all honestly, it was a nice set up. The room where Ed was keeping her was strictly gold and olive themed, which she begrudgingly had to admit looked very nice for her. The queen-sized bed was framed by simple yet elegant curls of aged copper that reached up to the sky to form a gorgeous canopy, and draped across the canopy was a paisley-designed curtain that fell gracefully to the cherry hardwood floor it sat on. The bed covers were similar in design and look so warm and fluffy, like Ev could just crawl under those covers and stay there forever. There was a lone dresser beside the bed that was, once again, in similar paisley design as that of the bed covers and cherry wood. It contained nothing within it's drawers other than a rather lonely book that was titled "Alice Human Sacrifice", which had been read close to a thousand times and still gave her the creeps. The walls were painted a dull gold to contrast with the sage curtain and mainly sage covers, but still managed to look elegant.

Yes, the room was pretty, Evelyn would admit that. The dress he had made her wear, however, was another story. It was late-Victorian, which she expected no less from a vampire who clearly had a thing for eighteenth-century styled... well, everything. The dress, in contrast to the room, was a beautiful yellow and hugged around her shoulders, suspended only by thin black straps. The sleeves nearly concealed her hands, which were bound in fingerless black lace gloves, and were evenly yellow and black striped. The waist of the dress was black and adorned with black ribbons that bore yellow roses at their centers; the skirt part of the dress was yellow and puffy with a thin layer of black lace over top of it. Her long blond hair had been bound in a loose bun and just barely cascaded in low waves to the base of her neck, laced with emeralds and gold chains that brought both her eyes and her skin tone. Edward, himself, had actually come in and done her hair for her. Regardless, he had needed to compel her to keep her sitting still and not trying to kill him with whatever she could find- seeing as he had removed anything that could be easily used as a weapon and simply compelled her into not trying to make her own weapon. If Ed had been human and if this were a wedding under normal circumstances, then Evelyn would have been flattered by the gesture. She frowned and mentally shook herself. At that point, it was safe to say that there was nothing _normal _about anything anymore.

She stiffened, feeling an inhuman presence right behind her. She didn't have to turn and look to see who it was. She rolled her eyes covertly, not wanting to reveal that she recognized his standing there. Regardless, the movement was noticed and caused the pureblood to smile at her. She didn't meet his gaze as he gently caressed her cheek, sending chills of anger down her spine. Ed grasped her shoulders and knelt next to her ear, watching with delight as her grip tightened. He could see how badly she wanted to sock him in the face at that moment, but scoffed at the fact that she couldn't.

"Occhi scintillanti come smeraldi, capelli morbidi come la seta. Una tale visione si scioglie il mio cuore di pietra," he murmured in perfect Italian, still smiling as he spoke. "Purtroppo, sotto queste bellezze è una lingua d'argento. Anche così, ti rimarrà per sempre ... il mio amore." Evelyn said nothing and focused her gaze out the window, trying her hardest not to look into those captivating gold eyes. After a moment or two, Ed stood and sighed, taking a seat on her bed. "I made that up about you, you know."

"Sorry, I don't speak leech. You'll have to translate," she snapped, only partially right about not being able to speak Italian. He laughed kindly, which made her muscles coil. As a member of a distinguished line of vampire hunters, she learned to speak Russian, as well as German and French, but not Italian. To vampire hunters, Italian was considered to be the Old Language, the language that the first vampires and vampire hunters spoke back in the day. Ever since vampires modernized, hunters saw no need to speak the Old Language any longer and gave up on learning it. If someone like Ed knew how to speak the Old Language, then that meant that he came from one of the founding families of the vampire realm. Evelyn was descended from the Cuore family- one of the more powerful families, but not nearly as powerful as the Enzio family from which Edward was descended from.

"In English, I said, 'Eyes sparkling like emeralds, hair soft as silk. Such a sight melts my heart of stone.'" Evelyn scoffed at the last part, snorting in disgust, but Edward continued. "'Alas, beneath these beauties lies a silver tongue. Even so, you will remain... _my love._'" She felt her stomach lurch in both scorn and excitment at the thought, but the memories of what he was and what he did to his own flesh and blood returned her to her normal adamant state. Ed's liquid gold eyes flickered in and out of crimson for a moment while they searched her expression, waiting patiently for a reaction that would please him. When no such reaction occurred, he sighed in frustration and folded his hands in his lap, crossing his legs. "Perché non mi guardi, angelo?"

"What part of 'I don't understand' won't get through your thick head? Is it so stuffed full of blood that you can't comprehend anything?" Evelyn's voice increased in volume as she spoke, but she still never turned to look at him. Ed's gold eyes widened in momentary surprise, which also brought Evelyn momentary joy. "Now that I finally got you to shut up, how about you explain to me what exactly the dress is for?" she conintued without hesitation, figuring that she may as well get some answers out of this situation. Ed relaxed into his usual bullshit smile and stood, gracefully stiding over to her side.

"Mi amore, it's for our wedding. Surely you knew that...?"

"Yes, I did, but why get all gussied up if no one is going to show up? Not that I care, but it's ridiculous!" It was on the last word that Ed's expression grew dark, and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes that made Evelyn shudder involuntarily. Even with out actually seeing him, the pure evil that radiated from him was enough to strike unimaginable fear through her. A small voice in the back of her mind whimpered about wanting the old Edward back, and she felt a pang through her heart. In all honesty, with their heritages put aside for a minute, Evelyn did still have strong feelings for Ed. She truly did still love him the way she did before she knew he was a vampire. She longed for him to hold her in his arms again, the way things were so simple and so... human. Her obvious wanting must have shown on her face, because Edward let out a quick laugh that caused her to jump in fright.

"Oh, Ev... I can tell what you're thinking. Trust me, things will be better this way. Human life is so trivial now... Why live like such scum when you can live like royalty?" He reached out and just barely caught the single tear that escaped down her cheek with his finger. "As for your earlier question, there will be many arrivals. Every member of the remaining families will come to see our union, not mention my children-"

"Please don't call them that," Evelyn begged, but her plea fell on deaf ears.

"- will be there to help with the ceremony as well as the changing." Ev perked up on the last word, breaking her vow as she turned to look at him.

"Ch...Changing?" she asked cautiously, hoping that what she thought the word meant was not actually the definition. The same dangerous glint returned to his eyes as they shifted into a familiar crimson and held her captive with his compulsion. Her entire body froze from the sheer force of the power, and she cursed. Clearly, he had been waiting for this moment to come.

"But, of course, mi amore. How else are you going to become a vampire? Surely... you didn't think I was just going to let you stay like this, stay human? Don't be ridiculous!" he laughed, his crimson holding her emerald in an unwavering gaze. Something inside of Evelyn snapped, and she managed to momentarily break through his grasp.

"What the hell are you after? Why are you doing this? What could you possibly have to gain?" she asked, anxiety and fury seizing her. Ed was, once again, caught off guard. She would have taken another moment revel in this, but she decided otherwise as a shadow came across his face and his loose bangs shielded his face from view.

"Gain...?" he questioned, his voice sounding off a little. His frightening expression did nothing to quell her anger.

"Yeah, do you remember? It's called Equivalent Exchange, and I know that you sure as hell would follow that law to your grave! 'In order to gain, something of equal value must be lost.' I think it's clear at this point that my humanity is what will be lost; my question is what there is for you to gain! What, is it personal satisfaction? Is just because you want to torture me? Or is it because you want to prove yourself to Hohenheim?" That had been a low blow. Having nothing to do for several hours had left Evelyn plenty of time to think about her situation. She had come to the conclusion that he had been turned by his father on her own, and her theory was proven true by the reaction Ed was giving her. A low, menacing hiss escaped from his lips as his fangs protruded from his gums. He glared hateful daggers of crimson at the human before him. Evelyn thought that he was going to rant about Hohenheim being a "shitty excuse for a father" like he used to, but couldn't register the fact that she had been wrong until her mind recovered from the sudden shock of her burning cheek.

He had just slapped her.

"You'd be wise to hold your tongue from now on, wretch," Ed growled uncharacteristically, his eyes locked on hers. He could see the emerald almost drowning in tears of shock and pain. He had held back the full force of the blow- since doing otherwise might have knocked her head right off of her shoulders- but he could tell that he had still done some damage. Regardless, the damage she had done was far worse... unforgivable, even. "That bastard has nothing to do with my motives. How dare you suggest that. You know nothing about me." Before he could do anything else to harm her, he willed himself to leave. He took long, heavy strides out of her room and made sure to slam the door on his way out for good measure. Evelyn continued to sit there, dumbfounded by his actions.

"I was right... He's not Ed anymore... He's completely succumbed to the darkness and the power of the vampire. I can't save him. I failed..." she trailed off, her eyes narrowing at the door she knew he was still standing before. "... But I won't fail again. I will kill him and free his soul from this torment." Her musing was cut off by the sound of scratching at the base of the wall beside her. She looked down at the sound for a moment, then smiled.

"You see, Ed? I always come with a back-up plan."

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Ed sighed as he leaned up against the bedroom door, sliding down until he sat on the floor. How could he have done such a thing to the woman he loved? Was he really that much of a monster? He shook his head, deciding not to answer that question. He ran an agitated hand through his silky gold locks, furiously combing through his freshly unbraided hair. As the memories of their conversation floated around aimlessly through his mind, his excessive combing slowed and his hands fell uselessly to his side. He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he drew his knees up to his chest.

"You were always so perceptive, Evelyn. I'm not surprised that you figured it out so quickly..." he mumbled, resting his cheek on his knee. He wasn't going to deny that she had spoken he truth. He was trying to prove himself to Hohenheim. He wanted to prove that he was worthy of taking on his heritage as a descendant of the Enzio family. He wanted to prove that he had what it takes to be a leader to every vampire that would look to him for support. He could still remember his father's haunting words from after he had been turned.

_"You are not worthy of being a vampire, but tradition states that your transformation was necessary," _he had said once Ed had woken up. _"I do not even consider you my son for being such a weak vampire. Nevertheless, I shall monitor you and see how you progress. If you should take a bride and change her by your nineteenth birthday, then I will accept you once more. If you fail to do so, then I will have Alphonse take your place as the Head of the Enzio family."_

"Damn it all!" Ed cried, pounding the ground beside him childishly. He swore up and down that he would meet his father's requirements by the deadline. He was determined to knock Hohenheim off of his seat of power and make that bastard cower at his feet. But, Evelyn was... why couldn't she just accept it?

"Is something wrong, Master?" Ed looked up quickly to see Colonel Roy Mustang over him, glancing at him with a curious look that soon turned to concern. Ed shook his head and said nothing as the fledgling took a seat beside him. "You can talk to me, you know. That's what I'm here for."

Ed scoffed. "That's what all you fledglings say. It's like you're mechanically programmed to say that to me."

Roy laughed, a genuine laugh from the heart. This laugh spoke legions and significantly brightened Ed's mood. It brought back memories of those days- those simple days- back when Roy was still human and Ed's true self was still a well-hidden secret. They had shared some moments of animosity, but Ed had come to think of Roy as the father he never had. A real father who would never betray him or threaten to disown him. He still felt that way about the older male, even then.

"Can I ask you something?" Ed asked suddenly, his voice sounding meek and shy even to his own ears. He raised his now gold eyes up to look at the Colonel. The gaze that he was met back with was not that of a fledgling, not even that of a superior officer in the military.

He knew, by that look, that they were speaking as equals.

This made him smile slightly, but the smile disappeared as he focused on something unseen. "Do you think I can do it? Go through with the marriage? Turn her into a vampire? Possibly ruin the greatest relationship I've ever had?" Roy's midnight eyes were fixated on him as he spoke and did not look away until he had finished. The Colonel leaned his head back against the door and closed his eyes, lost in thought.

"You know, Ed..." he trailed off, choosing his words carefully. The blonde froze momentarily. It was nice being called by his own name again, especially by someone he trusted with his life. SUre, he knew he could act psychotic and insane at times, even sadistic if the mood was right... But, at the end of it all, he really was still just a child. He knew this to be true, and he knew that Roy knew this as well. Roy sat up again and looked at the boy once more, smiling his usual lazy smile. "I've seen you pull some amazing stunts. You managed to survive human transmutation at the age of ten, as well as bonding Al's soul to a suit of armor. Your survival may have been thanks to your vampire regenerative abilities, but still. You survived. You managed to pass the State Alchemist Exam, which is no easy feat, and become the youngest State Alchemist in history. You managed to live through many different kinds of life-threatening situations without faltering once on your journey for the Philosopher's Stone. Hell, you even died once or twice, yet here you are. You braved everything the world had to offer as a child, and you came out alive and with your brother whole again." He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in for a minute. "Do you honestly believe that, after going through all of that with Shou Tucker and the Homunculi, you can't handle something as simple as marriage?" Ed sat up more, feeling confident in his attempts. He looked up at Roy and smiled, the smile of true gratitude and joy.

"You're right. I triumphed over death itself. This'll be a cakewalk for me!" he cried, jumping to his feet. Roy chuckled and stood as well. Ed turned to look at the older male, his grin shifting into a sad smile. "Thank you.. for cheering me up." Roy nodded and, without warning, pulled the blonde into a hug. Ed stood stunned for a moment, unable to think about how to react, but relaxed as he automatically hugged back.

"Like I said. It's what I'm here for." Roy answered finally, pulling away. After ruffling Ed's hair and shooting him another quick grin, Roy headed off in the direction of the ballroom- the same ballroom that Envy had killed Ed in two years previously. For a moment, the Fullmetal Alchemist wondered what exactly ever happened to the shape shifting Homunculus, but shrugged it off as he headed off toward his own bedroom. Roy had been right. He would accomplish his goal with flying colors.

He would prove his father wrong.

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**Sooooooo... that was an interesting chapter! I bet you have so many questions! Like, "Who rescued Evelyn? Where will they go?" and "What the hell happened with Ed?" Well, when you have major Daddy issues like Ed does, you'll kind of do anything to prove that you can do whatever you've been told you can't do. Anyway, chapter five should be out sometime before January 4th, so be on the look out for it!**

**Now, I believe I have some things to translate. Okay, so, the name "Cuore" is Italian for "heart". I chose this word for her hunter family ancestry because her last name is HART-ley and it just sort of...matched. Yeah, lame, but whatever. Anyway, Ed's family name was hard to come up with on my own. I looked up the etymology for "Elric" and found out that it meant "head of house". So, I started looking up Italian names that started with "E" and had a similar meaning. I found Enzio, which means "ruler of home", and I thought it would fit. I hope it does. Also, at one point, Ed asks Ev, "Perché non mi guardi, angelo?" All he's asking is, "Why won't you look at me, angel?" As for why I made him speak Italian in the first place, well... I didn't want him to speak French because I'm taking French classes and I hear it all the time and I'm kind of sick of it... Plus, French is the first language you think of when you think of "romantic languages". It was too easy to think of and too commonplace, so I went with Italian. Besides, who doesn't love a sexy Italian vampire? XD**

**As for the little Parental!RoyEd segment... I just thought it would be appropriate. I know, the idea of evil vampire Ed was really cool and perfect. Yes, he is insane. Yes, he is evil. Yes, he can be very sadistic. Even so, like Ed himself pointed out, he's still technically a child. He's still slightly fragile when he is confused or scared. I mean, you saw how scary Ed was as a vampire. Vampire Hohenheim? That's as scary as if Freddie Kruger and Jason had a baby with Boogie Man genes. O.o So, I had to show that Ed still had a softer side buried deep underneath it all. Also, I know this is a big foreshadowing spoiler, but notice how I mentioned the ballroom where Envy killed Ed... What, oh, what could it all possibly mean! Lolz!**

**Anyway, yeah. Look for chapter five, coming out soon! Shout out to Thiera for keeping me focused and reminding me to work on this story whenever I forgot. I seriously couldn't have done this without you, girl. Thanks. And, to all my readers, thanks for sticking with me! Oh, I almost forgot! The book in Ev's dresser drawer? Yes, it is my reference to one of my favorite VOCALOID songs. Okay, so, thanks for reading! Stay tuned!  
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	5. The Wedding Gala

**Okay, so, I know I said I would have this out by January 4, but I'm getting it out now because this is only the free time I have to write this thing. I usually set myself a deadline that's about one week away from the last chapter publishing date, and it somehow pushes me to write the next chapter sooner than I expect... So, I guess it works out in the end! You all get the next chapter, and I get more time to think about the next chapter! Win-win! Well, actually, I sort of just make up stuff on the spot as I'm writing, but it usually turns out good. Anyway! Thanks again to Henai for reviewing and giving me good insight on how to round off my characters! I'm fairly new to FF Net, so your tips are exceedingly helpful. Thank you. (bows) Okay, so chapter five! Yay! This one is probably going to be as long as chapter two was (around 5,000+ words... whew!), seeing as there is so much I have planned to put in here! Oh, and in rereading the Parental!RoyEd from the previous chapter, I realized how kind of... what's the word... _sappy _I made Ed sound. That's only because he feels safe around Roy... unfortunately, in a "family" sense. He is NOT going CULLEN, Twilighters! You'll see what I mean in this chapter... Oh, quick spoiler... Evelyn said it wasn't necessary for her to learn the Old Language, but that doesn't mean she didn't anyway...! You want Ev's background? Here you go! So, enjoy!  
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**Chapter Five**

There was so much that could have happened within three days, which was what scared Alphonse the most. Naturally, due to geographical distances, a train ride from Resembool to Central City takes around three days, during which Al sat in his seat impatiently. He knew full well that three days was dangerous time to give a human, but for a vampire... Ed could have killed the Fuhrer and reigned as king within those same three days. Just the thought made his insides churn with nervousness, and he wished that the damn train would go faster. But, there was only so much that man could do against Nature, so he tried his hardest to wait patiently. Fidgeting, grumbling, and pacing around the cabin were constant behaviors of Al's that were viewed by the other passengers, but no one said anything to try and calm him. With a scowl of annoyance plain on his face- not to mention several vampire killing weapons strapped across his back- he couldn't really blame them. Once one of them would give him a dirty look or flinch away if he got to close to them, he would sigh in defeat and take his seat once more. He would do whatever it took to arrive at his destination safely and without scaring the other passengers shitless.

He almost saw his arrival in Central as a welcome relief- he would be able to see all of his friends again, like the Hughes and Lieutenant Hawkeye- but quickly remembered why he was here. It was for people like the Hughes and Lt. Hawkeye that he was doing what he was about to do. He knew that it was dangerous to offer himself up on a silver platter to someone as dangerous as Ed, but it was a risk he was willing to take to protect the ones he loved. He kept this mentality as he took unwavering steps toward the entrance to the Underground City.

"Ev... don't move. I'm on my way. I promise, I won't let anything happen. Not to you, anyway..." he vowed, his golden-brown eyes burning with fury. The distance from the surface to the City was the same he remembered from when the Homunculi brought him down here as a Philosopher's Stone not to long ago... back when his brother still cared about him... and Evelyn... He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts from his head. As far as he was concerned, this beast was no longer his brother. Therefore, he had no need to care for someone- no, some_thing_- who didn't care about him in return. If someone had told him a week ago that he would be trying to kill his older brother, he would have told them that they were crazy. At this point, after everything he had seen and gone through, he wasn't sure what he could consider crazy anymore.

He had been musing for so long, he hadn't even realized that he had already arrived at his destination. He stood over the sunken town, looking down at the empty streets and abandoned homes. It was almost sad, seeing what a grand city it was and thinking of how all those lives were lost in one night... Tragic, really. He automatically scanned the roads and side streets for any sign of life, making sure that no other life was to be lost apart from Ed's.

Nothing. No one was there.

He nodded to nothing in particular, then turned in the direction of the grand ballroom in the center of the city. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds that flowed to him on the wind. He used to do this all the time as a child back in Resembool. He, Ed, Winry, and Evelyn would all sit on the top of their favorite hill and over look the Sirena river that separated the main town from the countryside. He remembered one summer where the four of them had actually gone down to swim in the river. Winry had told them the story of how the river had gotten it's name.

_"The name Sirena comes from the Italian word for 'siren'," _she had explained. _"Sirens were water nymphs that lived on the edges of cliff near chaotic oceans. They would sing songs to sailors who sailed too close to them, using their beautiful voices to draw the sailors to them. However, the sailors would just end up falling into the churning waters and drown."_

_"That's really creepy!" _Evelyn had exclaimed, making a face. Ed had laughed at her expression.

_"Aw, come on, Ev! Sirens aren't real! That's just a story that people tell their kids to keep them from swimming in deep waters!" _he had criticized, shrugging. Winry's face had puffed up at that, and she had kicked some water at him. Evelyn had laughed and joined in the fight, nearly dunking Al under the water in the process. Al smiled to himself, remembering all of the good times he had shared with Ev. She had moved to Resembool when Al was only three-years-old at the time, so he felt like she had been there with him for his whole life. Even though they had met a such a young age, he still remembered that day well. It had been sometime around Christmas, and he remembered waking up to hearing someone screaming.

_"Honey, there's someone out there and they're hurt!" _he had heard his mother cry, her voice cracking on the word 'hurt'. He had heard his father try to calm her down, then say something about going to help the person.

_"Mommy, why is the snow red?" _Ed had asked from outside Al's nursery room door. She had run over to him and picked him up, holding him tightly in her arms. The next thing he saw was one of the most frightening things he had laid eyes on.

A girl, so fragile and pale, covered in the unmistakable color of fresh blood.

_"Mommy? Mommy!" _he had cried in distress. Trisha had been at his side in an instant, holding him and Ed in her arms while Hohenheim worked on cleaning the child up in the other room.

_"Trisha, I need your help! I need you to staunch the bleeding while I head over to Pinako's for medical supplies!" _his father had called from not far away. She had set them down and left, but they both heard her scream.

_"Wh-where are her insides? Have they been ripped out of her body?" _she had cried, sounding on the brink of tears.

_"I need you to put pressure on the wound! The hole leads all the way down to her spine, so be careful! Whatever you do, don't let the boys in here! I don't want them to see this!" _With that last command, their father had run out the door into the snow and headed off.

_"Mommy? What's going on?" _Ed had asked, slowly inching toward the door.

_"Stay right there, baby, don't move! I need you to watch your brother, okay? Just stay there!" _she had replied, shortly before swearing and commenting about 'too much blood'. Despite his mother's warning, Al had ventured out in the hallway and followed the trail of blood to his father's work room. Looking back on that moment, Al now realized that that may have been the thing that set off his spiral down into the world of vampire, but he couldn't necessarily blame her. There was no one to blame in that situation.

Red snow. Blood. Missing insides. Visible spine. These key words should have been enough to tip off about the girl's condition, but no. As he peered through that barely cracked open door, he realized that everything was going to change. This girl, around his brother's age, was tragically beautiful. Graceful blonde hair that cascaded in low waves to her shoulders; bright emerald eyes that darted every way possible, analyzing and understand all of her surroundings. Her parents must have been quite proud of her, the way she looked around without fear or hesitation.

_"Sangue..." _she had murmured, her tiny voice sounding like an angelic choir. _"Sangue... Non... Non andare via... Non mi toccare..." _

He knew this language. How did he know it? He couldn't recall.

_"Madre... Padre... Aiuto... Per favore..."_

What was it? What was she saying?

_"Mi fa male... Vattene via... Non mi toccare..."_

He couldn't place his finger on it. He was too confused by what his eyes were showing him. She was laid out on his father's work table and had a bright light shining down on her. Her small arm hung off the edge of the table, allowing that free-flowing blood to fall and form a pool beneath it. Her body had been laid out at an angle that allowed minimal sight, but he could make out one thing for certain. Whoever had done this to her, they had done it with intent to kill.

He could see recognizable strands of some organ hanging out of her stomach as if something had been crudely taken out of her.

At this sight, he had nearly passed out- whether it was from the sight or from the volume of his scream, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that this poor girl was probably going through absolute hell at that moment. He couldn't even imagine the unbearable pain she was probably feeling at that moment. Eventually, his father had returned with the supplies and moved Al back to his room with his brother, where he proceeded to tell Ed about the horrors he had seen.

That had been their first meeting with Evelyn Hartley.

It had been gruesome. It had been tragic. She had recovered close to a week later, but she was like a living doll. An empty shell. Around that time, the brothers had been informed that her lack of a certain organ had rendered her infertile. At the time, the two Elrics hadn't been sure what exactly that meant, but they learned it eventually. This poor girl... put through so much tragedy at such a young age. They later learned that whoever had stolen her insides had killed her parents, as well. Such torture... The identity of the killer was never discovered, but Evelyn was soon able to talk again. Ed was the first thing she had seen when she woke up. He had smiled so kindly at her- a smile that Al now desperately missed- and held on tightly onto her hand.

_"Good morning! My name is Edward. You can call me Ed, if you want. What's your name?" _he had asked so cheerfully, his inquisitive gold eyes meeting her blank emerald eyes head on. She had blushed nervously, glancing between his hand and his face.

_"Evelyn. My name is Evelyn. I-it's nice to meet you... Edward," _she had replied slowly. He had grinned at this.

_"Hey, let's be friends, okay? You can be friends with my brother, Al, and my other friend, Winry, too. Okay?"_

_"Um... okay. But, why? You don't know me that well..."_

_"So?" _he had shrugged. _"That's what being friends means. You hang out and get to know each other. You tell each other stories and share secrets. Most of all, you protect each other and never abandon each other... which is what I promise to do for you." _

She had blushed at this, unsure what to do. Then, for the first time since she had arrived in their house, she smiled at him. A live, genuine smile of true joy and trust. From that day on, she went everywhere with them. To Winry's, to the town, to school, to the park, to the river... it was like she was attached to them at the hip. More Ed than Al, but she still hung out with both of them. Her smile was addicting and was enough to brighten anyone's day. She rarely cried and wasn't afraid of anything... except for maybe spiders, but that was it. Those traits were parts that made Evelyn who she was... and made both of the Elric brothers steadily fall in love with her. They were traits that made Alphonse respect her and want to protect her at all costs... a promise that he made to her on that same day.

A promise that he was now going to uphold.

He took a deep breath and adjusted the weapons strapped at his waist, then followed the sounds of music and laughter to the ballroom for the final showdown.

* * *

Edward sighed impatiently and looked over at Evelyn, who sat silently next to him. She had been staring blankly over the crowd of vampires that had filled the ballroom, unmoving and unblinking. He vaguely wondered where her mind was at that moment. He sighed again and resting his chin in his hand, relaxing against the back of his throne. As the potential head of one the most important vampire families in history, every vampire viewed him as royalty. Since Evelyn was his bride-to-be, she was practically their queen. It wasn't that he had put himself on that throne, i was that he deserved to be up there with Ev at his side. He smirked at nothing in particular, remembering how Evelyn had once said that, if he were ever to become a Homunculus, he would be Pride. It was quite true. He knew full well that he was very prideful; he just didn't care. With such a legacy running through his veins, the world was his to play with if he so desired. This he knew... and used to his advantage.

He reached over and just barely stroked Evelyn's hair, but she didn't turn. She continued to sit there like a statue, not even seeing what she was looking at. He frowned at this, grazing his knuckles across her cheek gently.

"Perche non mi guardi, angelo?" he asked her. "Che cosa vi dà fastidio?" She said nothing. He began to lay his hand on her shoulder, but was shocked to find that she had smacked it away. A rude movement, but movement nonetheless.

"Don't touch me... you worm," she sneered, glaring emerald daggers up at him through her eyelashes. He was taken aback by her comment and prepared to press further, but was cut off by the sound of crashing. He looked up in time to see his little brother land in the middle of the ballroom floor, surrounded by broken bits of the ceiling where he had busted through. The younger Elric landed in a crouch and slowly stood, his eyes locked at Ed. The Fullmetal Alchemist smiled and stood, clapping at Alphonse's creative entrance.

"And here he is, dropped from the heavens," he announced, making his voice loud enough for everyone to hear him. "We were afraid you weren't going to show, fratellino." A low murmur arose from the crowd. Victorian dresses brushed up against one another as the women looked around nervously; velvet suits of similar style moved with the men who shifted uncomfortably. Their attire ranged from deep blues to vibrant crimsons. However, the only two dressed in the gold of the sun- no, the gold of royalty- were Evelyn and Ed. Evelyn was still in the same dress as before. However, Ed was in partically the same attire as he always was, apart from his characteristic red coat. That coat had been replaced with one of similar style, but with intricate black designs curling around the hemlines and in the same color as Evelyn's dress. His hair, in contrast to Evelyn's, was down and partially over his left shoulder.

Alphonse glared at his disowned older brother, his grip tightening on the stake he held in his hand. Edward simply smirked at him and slowly made his way down the stairs with surprising grace and poise. Al heard a few vampire women in the crowd gasp in awe at him, but he showed no sign of ever hearing them. Edward stood a good lunge's length away from Alphonse, resting his hand on his hip.

"I suppose I can safely assume that you didn't come here for the wedding," Edward said without hesitation. Although he hated to do so, Al met the vampire's gaze full on and nodded. Ed's smile grew as he slid off his overcoat and threw it into the nearby audience; the few vampire women who caught giggled excitedly and murmured among themselves about how the his scent had stayed with the cloth. While his smiled remained, his crimson eyes grew dangerous as he slipped into a familiar battle pose. "I guess if you get on your knees and beg for forgiveness, maybe I'll let this little dispute slide."

"No way. I came here for one thing, and I won't leave until I have it!" Al exclaimed, slipping into a similar pose with his stake extended in front of him. Ed seemed unimpressed by the crude weapon, but his fear of it was still visible in his eyes as they were locked on the item.

"Oh, really, fratellino. And what exactly might that be?" he asked sarcastically, tensing for attack.

"Your head!" Al cried, rushing forward. He held the stake forward in a defensive measure- he knew that he wouldn't land a hit first thing, so why bother?- and braced himself as it made a hard connection with Ed's freshly transmuted weapon. It was a weapon that was uncharacteristic to Ed, yet still seemed to fit. A simple scythe with a thin handle that led down to a large blade that was as big around as Al was, the entirety of the weapon wrapped in a chain that hung around Ed's hands where he gripped it to block Al's attack. He smirked, his pupils retracting into thin slits as he analyzed Al's face.

"Very good. It seems as though you may have learned something from Evelyn on the train, after all. But, you still have a lot to learn about fighting vampires," Ed remarked, eyes narrowing.

"I know enough to kick your sorry ass!" Al shot back. Edward emitted a crazed laugh, looking down his nose at Al. He pushed with his scythe, sending Al flying some feet away. The younger Elric landed into a neat crouch and was quickly back on his feet again, tensing once more. Edward stood up straight and ran a hand through his hair, his crimson cat-like eyes locked on Al's golden-brown ones.

"That... is something you shouldn't be too sure about," was Ed's reply before he managed to sprint across several feet within seconds. Within a blink of an eye, he was at Al's side in a lunge position. He sneered and pulled the scythe sharply upward, the point of the blade digging deep into Al's side as he was propelled upward. Al gasped in pain as, while he was flying upward, the blade was ripped through the rest of his side, and he made hard contact with the ground once gravity dragged him down once again. He grimaced, clutching at the bleeding side while his eyes darted to every vampire in the room. He expected at least one to go crazy from the smell of the blood, but not one of them moved. _It's almost as if they don't even notice the blood, _he thought curiously. Edward laughed and lifted the blade end to his lips, delicately lapping up Al's blood that dyed the tip in glistening crimson.

"They won't attack because they know that you're my prey. No one in this room will dare to interfere with our battle. They obey my every comma-" Ed's words were cut off by a gunshot, followed by his own agonized howl. His beautiful face twisted in rage, he looked around for the source of the bullet.

"Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" he heard Evelyn say. The two Elrics locked eyes with her as she descended the stairs, blowing the smoke that rolled out of the nozzle of her gun and smiling victoriously. She met Ed's gaze as she popped open the barrel and pulled out a bullet, holding it between her thumb and index finger. "Wooden bullets that have been soaked in holy water for twenty-four hours. Amazing what they can to when they barely graze the skin of a vampire..." she trailed off, putting the bullet back into it's slot and aiming it at the vampire. Ed flinched slightly and struggled to smile at the blonde before him.

"Evelyn, darling... Put down the gun and sit back down. You don't want to shoot me..." Ed trailed off nervously. Clearly, Evelyn jumping into the fight was something he hadn't been planning on. She simply shook her head and continued toward him, gun still pointed at his heart.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I promised that I would do everything in my power to stop you."

"Who exactly was this promise made to, amore? To Alphonse, perhaps?" Ed asked, growing impatient. Evelyn simply smiled at him, her finger twitching slightly as she prepared to shoot him again. However, she was too late as Ed rushed forward and stabbed the entire scythe through her abdomen. Her emerald eyes widened in pain, and blood spilled over her chin as she coughed. "You've fallen out of my favor, Ev. Now, your must compensate with your life," he sneered up at her, pulling the blade out of her chest. She managed to stay standing as she stared blankly at him for a moment, then fell to the floor in a lifeless heap at his feet. He nodded to nothing in particular, then turned back to Alphonse.

"Now, where were we...?" he asked, frowning hatefully.

"You... you killed her... but what about..." Al asked slowly, staring with wide-eyed disbelief at the vampire. Ed's expression was that of pure bloodlust. It was obvious that he cared for nothing else in the world anymore. His mind had been completely eclipsed by his hate and rage. Those two feelings twisted his face into that of a beast, sending even some of the equally frightening vampires in the audience into tremors of fright. Even Alphonse found himself frozen in fear by the horror before him.

"I don't care anymore. You, Evelyn, Hohenheim... All of you can disappear for all I care!" he screeched, his anger seeming to flare around him.

"That'll be impossible for one of us, though," a menacing voice teased behind him. His eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed.

"You're still alive, Evelyn?" he growled through gritted teeth, turning to look at her as she struggled to her feet. Gasping, she looked up at him through her now loose blonde hair as an uncharacteristic grin spread across her lips. A low chuckle escaped from her lips and steadily grew into a condescending cackle as she threw her head back.

"Shut up! What are you laughing for, you pathetic fool?" Edward asked, no longer using his possessive nickname for her. She stopped laughing and glared at him, her grin frightening Al as much as Ed was. She carefully stumbled toward him as blood poured profusely from the gaping hole in her stomach.

_After taking a blow like that, she shouldn't be alive, let alone walking... Unless... _Al's eyes widened as realization came over him. _No... It can't be...!_

"L'invidioso non conoscono riposo, alchimista poco. Ricorda che," she growled in a voice that was not her own as crimson alchemical light flashed around the wound. All who were watching had not seen this coming. Al almost smiled, but chose not to do so. Edward started forward, baring his fangs in an animalistic manner.

"Impossible! You shouldn't be able to heal yourself like that, Evelyn!" Ed cried, adding confusion to the snarl of emotions that were ripping through him. The image of Evelyn was stripped away by alchemical light, revealing the true identity of the person who stood before them now.

"ENVY!" the two Elric brothers cried in unison, albeit for different reasons. Envy cackled and pointed to the ballroom doors.

"Evelyn escaped a while ago and I took her place... while she went to go get some valuable assets," he announced. The doors opened up with a loud creak, revealing the vampire hunter team of three that burst through.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I needed to pick up a few friends for the party," the real Evelyn called as she stepped through the threshold, armed to the teeth with vampire killing weapons.

"From what I heard, this is sure to be one hell of a party!" Winry cheered from Evelyn's left side, armed in the same manner.

"Let's hope it doesn't turn into a bust when we beat you into a bloody pulp, " Hawkeye said simply, having recovered from her earlier compulsion that Ed had used to make her serve him. Alphonse turned to look at the leader of the hunters, smiling in relief. She grinned back and motioned for him to join her side. He nodded and ran to her, the four sliding into battle poses that were unique to each person. Evelyn held a wooden longsword in a backhanded grip with her left hand extended toward Edward while Winry and Hawkeye held automatic pistols filled with wooden bullets. A guttural growl erupted deep in Ed's throat as his glare darted between the four hunters before him.

"Take a good look around you, Edward," Evelyn spat. "This is your reality. And, guess what? It's about to wipe you off the face of the earth."

* * *

**Whew! Chapter five is officially done! I'd been having issues with my laptop lately, so it took me a while to find time to finish this (it's still not working, so I may have to get a new one). So, it may be a while before I get chapter six out, but keep an eye out for it!**

**So, yeah, Envy rescued Evelyn from Ed's prison! Unexpected, right? I thought it would be perfect to make someone like Envy come back, since he's my favorite villain from Fullmetal Alchemist. As for why he saved her, you'll have to wait for the next chapter! XD Also, we got Evelyn's back story! I know some of you wanted to know how exactly she met the Elric bros, so now you know. Graphic, yes, but strangely touching. I hope it was good.**

**Again, translation notes! Okay, so, first off: "fratellino" is Italian for "little brother". No need to explain that one. "****Che cosa vi dà fastidio?" means "What bothers you?" I just wanted him to speak more Italian because it's sexy. And, finally, "****L'invidioso non conoscono riposo, alchimista poco. Ricorda che." Envy says this as Evelyn before he transforms. All he's saying is, "The envious know no rest, little alchemist. Remember that." So, yeah, Envy knows Italian. XD**

**Well, I hope you liked this chapter! I worked hard to make it good! R&R, please and thank you! Here's to hoping you all have a good 2011!**


	6. Fights and Farewells

**OMG, chapter six! XDDD ****Very very very very very VERY excited about this one! Oh, and Happy New Year to you all, my friends! (smiles) Random thought for the story: I made Ed seem bipolar for a reason... I just don't know what that reason is yet. He switches from evil, scary Vampire!Ed with a God complex the size of Detroit to child-like, confused Uke!Ed... I love it! XDDD**

**Okay, so, I have much planned for this little one! Evelyn's backstory was clearly effective, which I am very glad about. It was dark, but that's what she does. Pops up with a big entrance. Boom. Anyway, not much to say before this chapter, so I may as well get to it. Oh, and by the way, I realize that I mentioned that fact that "two vampires from the same family line cannot devour each other's blood" and that "Al's blood will be poisonous to Edward", but Ed licked Al's blood off of his scythe without any reaction in the last chapter. I intend to correct that error in this chapter, so when I get to that part, remember that it takes twenty minutes for the body to digest food. XDDD Also, there may be something in this chapter for the yaoi fans, but only maybe... (evil grin) Oh, by the way, Envy already left, so he won't be in this chapter in the fight. We have enough of Envy-Ed fights in Fullmetal, so I think we should take a break.**

**Also, last chapter, Evelyn said some stuff in Italian during the flashback that I forgot to translate. She said, "Blood. It hurts. No, stop, don't. Please. Mother. Father. Help me, please," and things like that. That's all, but I thought I should still tell you. Sorry for not translating it before. (bows apologetically)**

**And, with that, please enjoy! Thanks to you, readers, for sticking with it!**

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**Chapter Six **

Edward's slowly widening eyes darted between the four as he bared his teeth at them, infuriated by Evelyn's words in particular. She stared back with a level gaze, her expression almost utterly blank. Regardless, Ed could still detect a faint hint of pity and sorrow in that gaze, two feelings he wouldn't hesitate to use to his advantage. He knew that she regretted her actions to recognize that they would take away the one she loved, but it wasn't enough to make her surrender to him like he had planned. He swore under her breath, which didn't go unnoticed by his brother. Alphonse, Winry, Evelyn, and Hawkeye weren't going to back down. He knew this, and he scoffed at them.

"Four against one? Hardly a fair fight, and you all know it," Edward remarked, standing up straight and running an aggravated hand through his now loose hair. "Even with my considerable skill and power, just Al and Ev could take me down if they wanted to. So, how about we even up the odds?" He lifted his left hand just slightly and snapped his fingers, which immediately summoned four other vampires to his side... four incredibly familiar faces to all of the hunters. Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, Master Sergeant Kain Fuery, First Lieutenant Heymans Breda, and Colonel Roy Mustang. Breda growled at Hawkeye, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I finally get to repay you for the injury you gave me on the train," Havoc spat at Evelyn. She smiled sweetly at him and said nothing, locking her gaze with his.

"Don't think that I'll go easy on you because I know you, gear-head, " Fuery hissed. Winry winced, the sound echoing through to her core. While those insults flew between the opponent, Hawkeye's amber eyes were locked on the Colonel's crimson ones.

"Whatever happened to your dream of being Fuhrer, sir? By joining that brat's side, you've ensured that you won't get it," Hawkeye asked remorsefully, feeling premature guilt for going back on her promise to him. Mustang didn't look away as he remained silent. She sighed sadly, relaxing a little as she started toward him. "You can still come home and become Fuhrer like you wanted to. Follow your dreams... not what someone else tells you." At this Edward laughed and backed toward Mustang, who knelt at his approach.

"You fool! Once I destroy this world, Roy _will _be able to reign from the top... the top of his own kingdom that he will create himself! A kingdom that will have all of you worthless humans bowing at his feet!" he cackled, sitting on Roy's shoulder as the Colonel shoulder. He folded his arms over Roy's head and rested his chin in the soft midnight locks. He smiled at them all. "I will only fight against Alphonse, no one else. Anyone who tries to engage me will find themselves against another one of my children. If Alphonse manages to fight his way to me, then I will fight."

"You coward! You let your flunkies do all of your dirty work while you sit back watch! Fight your won battles!" Evelyn challenged. Immediately, as if on cue, Havoc rushed forward and brought down his clawed hand, an attack that was just barely blocked by the side of her wooden blade.

"How dare you speak in such a manner to the Master! Prepare to die, you insolent wretch!" he cried, engaging in battle with her. While they fought, Fuery and Breda rushed forward into battle against their respective opponents as well. Ed watched with crazed glee as Roy stood, easily balancing the young blonde on his shoulder.

"'If he manages to fight his way to me'? Pretty gallant to say, even for you," Roy remarked, watching as well. Ed nodded, closing his eyes as he relaxed against Roy.

"Maybe, but it'll be enough to get him this far," he replied, opening his eyes again now that they were their normal inquisitive gold. His expression grew slightly sad as he looked down at the Colonel. "I don't underestimate his skills as much as everyone thinks I do. I realize that one slip up will have me in a hole in the ground... which is why I have a back up plan."

"You mean the Succession Rite of Kingship?" Roy asked, looking up at the blonde through his eyelashes. Ed leaned down next to Roy's ear, grunting as the motion sent shooting pain through his side where the bullet wound still hadn't healed.

"I really hope you don't mind, but I'd like for you to take my place should anything happen." Roy straightened in surprise, flushing slightly as he met Ed's gaze. He was silent for a minute or two before he recovered.

"A-are you sure, Ed? I mean, the procedure for the Succession Rite is-"

"Awkward due to our social standings and ranking, yes, but necessary. Part of the procedure is accepting the Rite in the first place... so, do you?" Ed asked, tilting his head to one side.

"O-of course. I humbly accept," Roy answered, blinking away his disbelief. He smiled at Ed in a friendly manner, which sent a rose blush across the blonde's cheek as they moved back to watching the fight. Alphonse had managed to run past the three vampires before him, but was blocked off as another six came out of the audience. Obviously, the guards weren't the only ones who were going to fight, but that fact wouldn't be enough to impede Al from his goal. He had his gaze fixed on Ed through everything and, while he fought and killed his challengers, he vaguely wondered what his brother was discussing with the Colonel. Could it be a battle strategy of some sort? Or were they planning to high-tail it out of there? No, the latter was out of the question. Edward wasn't the type to turn down a challenge, vampire or otherwise. Meanwhile, Evelyn and Winry had tagged teamed against four vampires, easily utilizing each other to fight against the demons. At one point, Winry had grabbed Ev's shoulders and spun her around, allowing Ev to kick her sharpened heels into the vampires' unsuspecting faces. Once she had been released, she landed in a crouch as Winry flipped over her and shot two more vampires in the heart with her wooden bullets.

"Weak! Someone who has even an inkling of the meaning of strength, come face me!" Evelyn cried, having not even broken a sweat. Since Winry had little experience in fighting the undead- or, well, fighting anything at all- Evelyn had been trying her hardest to protect the young automail engineer. To her surprise, Winry was managing just fine with the fighting; her issue was her quickly depleting stamina. Evelyn worked to keep Winry on her feet while watching her own back as Al finally rushed toward Ed, having broken through his personal wall of vampires. Ed nodded at Roy, who set him neatly down on the ground in time for him to deflect the younger Elric's attack with his scythe. He smiled his usual grin at Al, who just grimaced at the memories and pain it brought forth.

"Just like old times, eh, fratellino? I remember when we used to spar-"

"You always lost. Did you just let me win as a form of pity for being a 'weak human'?" Al spat, pressing down on Ed's defense with his stake. Ed laughed his usual laugh, which Al's stomach churn with hatred.

"No, I fought you will all of my strength," he replied, an answer that surprised Al. "That just proves that you have what it takes to defeat me..." As these words left his mouth, his eyes transitioned into their natural crimson, and his pupils dilated into slits. "... Which is something I won't allow. Not yet." Then, with lightning-fast reflexes, he jabbed pushed Alphonse off of him and jabbed the blunt end of his scythe into Al's stomach, almost sending him flying. Before Al could get a few feet off of the ground, Ed wrapped the blade around Al's neck and pulled him down to the ground. Al made hard contact to the ground below him with a loud crack, leaving him momentarily stunned. Ed pointed the point of the blade end at Al's throat while he was down, not attacking but not moving.

"You have the perfect opening to kill me right now, but you hesitate?" Al asked, glaring up at Ed. The older blonde scoffed at him, not moving.

"It's not hesitation, little brother. I just want you to be on your feet when I run you through," he replied heartlessly. Al sighed furiously and, grasping his stake tightly, rushed onto his feet and lunged at his brother with speed that surprised even Ed. The blonde vampire managed to escape with a small scratch on his cheek as he dodged, swearing loudly.

"Ed, wake up! This delirious dream of yours has gone long enough! What is it that you really want?" Al cried, growing desperate. As prepared as he was, he didn't want to have to fight his brother. He wanted Ed to recover from his insanity and give up vampire life; he wanted his brother to come home. But, as Ed threw his head back and let out a laugh of a soul lost to insanity, he knew this would never happen.

"What do I want, you ask? How foolish are you?" Ed cackled, eyes wide.

"Is it revenge? World domination?"

"You've got me all wrong! My motives aren't as sophisticated as revenge! The reason why I'm torturing you and changing all of these people to become my fearless army of vampires? It's simply because I have to will and the power to do so." This confession sent a flaming wall of rage through the younger Elric and he rushed forward, hellbent on finishing his brother once and for all. He unleashed a barrage of attacks against his brother, almost all of which were blocked by the older Elric. Ed laughed once more, feeling almost impressed with his younger brother's desire for bloodshed.

"I can recognize the look in your eyes, little brother!" Ed called over Al's furious screams. "I can see the vampire in you yearning for blood! Let it swallow you whole! Surrender to the dark desires!"

"Never!" Al replied, taking a quick slash at Ed's face. Ed easily dodged and landed some feet away from his brother. Al clenched his fist at his side, his whole body shaking with rage. "I will never be like you. I realize that that side of me exists... but I won't be subdued by it like you were." He looked up at Ed with fury burning in his eyes. "I won't be weak like you!" The volume of this statement made everyone turn and watch the two brothers. Evelyn's emerald eyes were momentarily torn away from the vampire who she had just staked and were locked on Alphonse, her eyebrows knitted together with worry. As much as she respected his bravery, she knew that he had just crossed a line.

"Al... I hope you know what you're doing," Winry murmured, joining Evelyn's side as she dropped the vampire's lifeless body. Even while he felt eyes on him, Ed hung his head enough that his bangs shielded his face from view. His grip tightened on his scythe slightly, but it was enough that everyone noticed. He was silent for a moment, leaving an eerie feeling of tension hanging over everyone.

"Who told you all to stop fighting?" he shouted suddenly, causing everyone to jump. With that simple command, the hunters and their opponents resumed battle again. Regardless of their fighting, they were all still listening intently to the brothers and occasionally throwing fleeting glances at the two, but none ever made a move toward them. Perhaps it was because of the frightening look of Ed's face at that moment. He had looked fearsome before, but not like this. Words, in Al's mind, were unable to describe how terribly frightening he looked at that moment. "Weak, he says... He calls me weak..." He giggled darkly, hugging himself slightly. "But, I'm not weak... He's weak... You're weak..." He looked up at his younger brother, staggering toward him slightly. "You are the weak ones... All of you worthless humans... That's why I'm doing this... I have to purge my prefect earth of you scum and make it clean again... I HAVE TO KILL YOU ALL!" he screamed, rushing toward Al. However, his furious attack was stopped as he suddenly fell to his knees, eyes wide as he coughed up blood continuously.

"Master!" Roy cried, running to Ed's side and rubbing the heel of his palm between Ed's shoulder blades. He had been taught to do this to clear the airways of the younger soldiers when they were vomiting during his time in Ishval, so he hoped this would calm his Master's stomach.

"What... what's happening? What have you done to me, Alphonse?" he gasped, glaring up at his younger brother. Al simply smiled back in a way that annoyed Ed severely.

"Oh, don't you know? Like you said, there's still some vampire running through my veins... which means that my blood is poisonous to you. Remember earlier, when you had a little taste of my blood that you got on your weapon? That little taste was enough to slowly poison you to death. It was my plan from the beginning," Al explained confidently, showing no trace of fear. Evelyn, having a moment to spare, smirked at the younger Elric.

"Well played, Al, well played. You knew more than I gave you credit for," she remarked before moving back to stake another vampire that was charging at her. Ed looked away from Al and gave a small chuckle, feeling slightly impressed with his younger brother.

"You clearly know your stuff. I underestimated you..." he trailed off, wiping away the blood from his chin as he stood. "However, if you are just trying to poison me, it won't be enough for a long while. You still have to do more damage than that."

"I know," Al replied, pulling out a pistol that was loaded with more of those wooden bullets. "That's why I won't hesitate to put you closer to death." Ed nodded and turned to Roy, whispering something unintelligible before rushing toward Alphonse again. He took wide swipes with his scythe that left many openings for Al to attack, but the younger Elric made no move toward these opportunities. Instead, he kept a mostly defensive pose throughout the entirety of the attacks.

"What's wrong, Alphonse? After coming this far, do you not have the heart to kill your older brother?" Ed teased, raising his scythe over his head as he prepared to come down with the blade. With that movement as a gateway to courage for Al, the younger Elric lunged forward and, placing the mouth of the gun over the exact spot where Envy had stabbed him two years previously, pulled the trigger. The loud sound of gunfire caused everyone to stop fighting once again and turn to watch as the young Fullmetal Alchemist froze over his brother. More blood spilled over his chin as he slowly collapsed to his knees, dropping the scythe at his side. Shaking, Al stood tall over his brother and watched him with wary eyes. Ed laughed in defeat, knowing not what to do next.

"Brother..." Al started carefully. "Humans aren't as weak as you believe, especially not alone. Being human makes you imperfect, yes, but we learn from our mistakes. We feel love and joy... don't you remember?" His expression grew sad as he waited for Ed to answer. Gasping and clutching at his bleeding bullet wound, Ed slowly shook his head.

"Unfortunately for you... I don't," he answered, looking up at Al with pained eyes. Al sighed and frowned at Ed, aiming his gun at the vampire's head.

"Then, I have no sympathy for you at all." Before Al could pull the trigger, Roy jumped in front of him and scooped Ed up into his arms bridal-style and jumped away again. Al prepared to run after them, but was stopped as seven vampires blocked his path. Swearing, he rushed into battle with them.

"I didn't expect that you would let him shoot you like that, Ed," Roy remarked, laying Ed's weakened body across his lap. Ed let out a raspy laugh, then winced as pain shot through him.

"As much as I'd like to say that's what happened, I'd be lying if I agreed with you. Al actually managed to get the jump on me without me letting him," he replied to Roy's shock. The older male's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed sadly. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but... the time is at hand. The Rite must be finished... right now." Roy's flushed face was a clear indicator that he slightly agreed, but still unsure.

"Master, I-" Roy was cut off as Ed placed a bloodied finger to his lips and smiled.

"I trust you. As strange as it'll be, the Rite will give the same power that I have now. You'll take my place at the top."

"But, I was only recently turned! I have to family like you do! I'm not eligible to reign over these people! I shouldn't-"

"Eligibility is determined by the ruler before you, and I say that you are more than capable that leading them. It'll be easier than running for Fuhrer." Ed flinched, letting his hand fall to his side. Through the fighting, Hawkeye happened to look over at them and saw their conversation.

"Winry, what exactly is happening over there?" she asked the automail engineer, seeing as Evelyn was too busy fighting to answer.

"It looks like the Succession Rite of Kingship to me," Winry answered slowly, her bright blue eyes widening. Riza gave her a puzzled look, unsure what exactly that meant. "But, that wouldn't make any sense..."

"How so?" Riza asked, still a novice the world of vampires. Evelyn joined their side and sat crossed-legged on the ground, resting her chin in her palm.

"For as long as hunters have known about the existence of vampires, the rule has alternated between men and women. Many people believe that it because vampires recognize the power that women have and allow them to be equal to men in all cases, but that's not the case at all. In fact, it has nothing to do with women's rights at all. It has to do with the procedures for the Rite itself, which are only two simple steps..." She held up one finger. "The first step is acceptance of the role. Judging by their conversation earlier, I think we can safely assume that Roy has accepted the role already. Now that leaves the second and most awkward part..." She held up another finger, then frowned in slight disgust. "The one surrendering the role and the one accepting the role must engage in a passionate, romantic kiss." At this, the other two girls made a face and Winry abandoned the conversation to help Alphonse fight.

"But, would Roy really do that?" Riza asked, looking down at Evelyn. The blonde simply nodded, dropping her hand. "But, they haven't yet! We can still stop them!"

"The first half of the Rite is finished, so it must be completed. As much as we hunters despise vampires, we still must respect their rules and customs as they do with ours. Consider it Equivalent Exchange, if you must. We have no choice but to sit and watch..." Evelyn trailed off and smiled slightly. "...Which, in my case, I don't mind so much." Riza sighed and nodded, running after Winry to help Al. Evelyn closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling useless. She wanted to go over there and kill both of them badly, but rules were rules. She was bound to them, as were her friends. So, she would sit back and see what would happen... just as she had for the past fourteen years since she had met the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Roy nodded down at Ed and helped the blonde vampire into a sitting position. Ed blushed in a very childish manner and looked away for a moment.

"Are you sure you want to take over in my place...? You can still back out, you know..." Ed mumbled, unsure why he was feeling so nervous about the Rite. He looked up at Roy through his eyelashes, meeting the midnight gaze above him. Roy smiled kindly at him, cupping Ed's cheek in his hand.

"You know, I've always thought that you were quite adorable for a guy, Ed. So, in the case of the Rite, I don't mind at all," Roy replied honestly. At this, Ed looked up at met the Colonel's gaze full on. He had to admit that, while he had no romantic interest in Mustang, he was a very attractive man. He could see why Roy was able to pick up so many women. _Maybe... maybe this is for the best. It can't be that bad, kissing the Colonel... can it? _Ed knew that his question was about to be answered as Roy slowly leaned his face down to his for the final part of the Rite. He knew that his face was a bright scarlet, but all he could seem to focus on was Mustang's musk as it lingered over him temptingly.

_Why do I feel like this...? Is it because of my closely impending death? Am I just so on the edge that I can't control my emotions anymore? _Ed wondered, sucking in a breath of surprise that went unnoticed by Mustang. He prepared to question this further, but every function he could handle was cut off as Roy's lips met his. Despite the fact that both of the alchemists were undeniably straight, the sensation of the kiss that they shared at that moment was that of two lovers... and they both loved it. At first, the kiss was slow and awkward as they both tried to figure out a pattern to match each other, but it grew more passionate as they figured it out. It started out with Roy holding Ed's body up to his while his lips gently suckled on Ed's bottom lip, but soon Ed discovered an unknown strength that allowed him to reach up and wrap his arms around the Colonel's neck. From there, things steadily became hot and heavy. Roy's tongue flicked at the crevice between Ed's lip, begging for entrance, but Ed's thought were all to muddled to comprehend the motion. _Do I really feel something here...? Or am I just imagining things? _He managed to part his lips slightly, allowing Roy's tongue to enter his mouth and taste the interior of it. He let out a low moan, still confused by both his actions and the Colonel's, but suckled shyly on the older male's tongue as he pulled himself up against Roy's chest. Roy half-smiled through the kiss and ran one hand up through Ed's loose hair, holding the blonde's head in his hand. Their mouths moved together in perfect sync, their hearts beating as one. It felt exhilarating to both of them.

Out of nowhere, they both heard a loud click in their heads and they pulled apart, staring into each others eyes while only a few centimeters apart. They were panting, but only Ed was the one with the red face.

"I guess that means the Rite is complete," Roy said suddenly, still holding the blonde. Ed nodded breathlessly, then winced as a new pain shot through him. He recognized this pain from that night eight years ago... when he was reborn as a vampire.

This was the pain of the Change.

He laughed quietly, falling limp in Roy's arms. The Colonel watched with wonder as the Fullmetal Alchemist's crimson eyes changed back into their normal gold for the last time. He gasped quietly as tears of realization spilled over his cheeks.

"So, this is what it feels like... to be human. How sad... I'd almost forgotten..." He looked up at Roy and smiled. As his eyes fluttered closed for the last time, he managed to whisper, "Thank you... for reminding me... Roy..." With that, the Fullmetal Alchemist took his last breath.

"You're welcome... and... good night... Edward," Roy mumbled, burying his face into Ed's lifeless chest as he wept.

With that final farewell, the head of the Enzio family and the master of all vampires... had passed on.

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**Such a sad ending! Even if Ed was evil, it's still sad to see him die! I was listening to Last Night, Good Night by Hatsune Miku while I typed this and I actually started crying! :'(**

**Well, there's chapter six! I hope you liked it! R&R, please and thank you! Good night, Edward Elric! Rest in peace, you captivating yet sadistic vampire! (salutes) Oh, by the way, Evelyn is me in this story, so that's why she liked the yaoi part. I hope you all did, too! Stay put for chapter seven!**


	7. A Call for Change

**Oh, my Goddess! XD It's been so very long since I started working on this story! I'm so sorry for making you all wait, but I've been so very busy with finals and school and being grounded... "-_- Anyways, I'm back now with the second to last chapter, FINALLY! So sorry for making you wait! (bows repeatedly) Welp, here you go! By the way, the theme song for this chapter is Dante's Theme from, obviously, Fullmetal Alchemist (the first anime from 2003). I love it! It sounds so dark and sad and pretty! It's definitely fitting for this chapter! XD Enjoy!**

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It was over. All the pain had been healed. All the tears had been caught. In one single death, everything was brought back to peace. Alphonse couldn't even believe that he had actually managed to kill the Master of the vampire realm, not even while he stood staring at Edward Elric's lifeless body that lay limp in Roy's arms. The usually stoic Flame Alchemist's mask had broken, his face distorted in pain and sorrow as tears spilled over his cheek at the loss of the older Elric. He lifted a shaky hand and rested it on Ed's cheek for a moment before pulling the body into an embrace. Even though the group stood surrounded by extremely dangerous vampires, they simply watched with moderately heavy hearts. Ed's face, now human and normal, looked so peaceful in his eternal rest, seeming to all the world as if he were only sleeping. That's when the reality of the moment hit Alphonse like a freight train.

He had killed his older brother, his only remaining family in this world... and he felt no regret whatsoever.

The severity of the epiphany forced Al to his knees, his golden-brown eyes wide with shock and despair. Evelyn and Winry rushed to his side immediately while Riza remained on guard in case any of the other vampires decided to attack in that moment of vulnerability. Al didn't even notice the tears of horror spilling over his own cheeks until Evelyn pulled him into a comforting embrace, the salty drops of disgust soaking into her shirt.

"Al, relax. Shush. It needed to be done..." Evelyn soothed, petting his hair comfortingly in rhythmic movements. Winry caressed his shoulder with her thumb, brows knitted together. This should have been a moment of celebration. They managed to save the entire human race from a vampire apocalypse lead by the Fullmetal Alchemist. Thousands of lives were spared at the cost of one, and yet here they all were in mourning. It seemed only natural, though. Ed had become such a strong figure in all of their lives, like a leader. He had helped them in their times of need, healed them when they were sick, comforted them when they were hurting. Naturally, the loss of someone like him would hurt, whether he was actually a sadistic vampire overlord or otherwise. They would feel the pain of this loss for some time, that was for sure. The two girls and Al perked up as Riza slipped into a battle pose, facing the direction where Roy was. Instantly, they were on their feet, ready to fight as well. Roy simply stood, cradling Edward's body close. The deceased vampire's head fell limply back, his loose golden locks spilling over his shoulders and Roy's arm in molten strands stained with crimson. His flesh and automail legs hugs uselessly over the older alchemist's other arm, bouncing slightly as Roy descended the stairs slowly. The Colonel held Ed's body close as a parent would with their child, eyes focused past the group while still swimming with tears.

"Roy...?" Riza asked cautiously, relaxing as the newly appointed Master walked past her. Roy stopped once he stood in the threshold of the ballroom, his shoulders rising as he took a deep breath.

"...You may leave. Your task is completed, and I have nothing to fight you over," Roy said softly, his voice broken and child-like. He barely looked over his shoulder at them as he spoke, not even sure if he could look. Alphonse took a step toward him, reaching out as if he wanted to comfort him, but then stopped. Did he really want to comfort the man who had defended such a brash and evil person as Ed? The man who had just taken his late brother's place as the ruler of the entire vampire realm?

"Mustang." Evelyn stepped forward, her emerald eyes narrowed at him. He didn't move, staying silent as a signal for her to speak. "Don't make the same mistakes as your predecessor. You have the opportunity to change the way things are. It's not different than being Fuhrer. So, choose. Will you carry on Edward's dark legacy... or make one of your own?" Roy flinched at the hunter's harsh tone, but stood his ground. His only answer was a sigh as his shoulder sagged slightly. He stood there for a moment longer, looking down at Ed's gentle features. Then, without another word, he simply left them standing there, carrying the Fullmetal Alchemist's body off somewhere to be buried or burned. Al stared after the Colonel silently, then turned back to Evelyn. She smiled reassuringly and stepped forward, resting a hand on his shoulder. The remaining vampires mumbled amongst themselves for a little bit, most likely discussing the case of Roy's appointment to Master, then departed back to wherever they had come from in the first place.

"Ev... Thank you. For everything." Al blushed a little, some old feelings stirring for his old friend. As much as he wanted to be the right one for her, he knew that- especially after everything that had just happened- she would probably remain alone for some time. The pain of such torment would leave scars on her heart to match the one across her stomach she received all those years ago when she first met the young Elric brothers. He understood this, but he would always be there at her side anyway... no matter what.

"It had to be done, Alphonse. You made the right choice, as much as it hurts," she answered, her smile disappearing as her hand slipped from her shoulder. With that serving as a simple farewell, she started to depart from the group.

"Where will you go?" Riza asked, stepping to Al's side. Evelyn stopped, then turned to grin a familiar grin at them.

"I'm a vampire hunter. Where there are vampires, you can find me. My family's motto is, '_Segui il vento, ovunque essa può portare, ma non dimenticate mai la vostra vera casa_'" she answered, sheathing her wooden sword at last.

"'Follow the wind, wherever it may lead you, but never forget your true home,'" Winry translated with a smile, impressed at her own knowledge of the Old Language. Evelyn nodded and turned, waving over her shoulder as she ran off to ascend to the surface. Al stared after her, longing pulling at his heartstrings. He wanted to go with her, he really did. He didn't want her to leave him behind with no way to keep in contact... He chuckled to himself weakly, noting that this was probably the way Winry felt when he and his brother burnt down their home and departed for Central those years ago. So many things had changed since then. They had all grown so much. They had seen so many parts of the world and learned so many things, it was almost as if they had lived a thousand lifetimes. Al was brought out of his reverie when Winry grasped his hand gently. She smiled at him and said, "Come on. Let's go home."

Home... Home sounded nice. The remaining Elric brother hadn't had an official home since before his mother died. Yes, home...

A home with a waiting family.

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**YAY! THAT WAS AN AWESOME CHAPTER! I liked having Roy be all broken and despairing because, you know, he's been through a lot and still manages to keep that same I'm-totally-way-cooler-and-hotter-than-you smirk! It's about time he got emotional! **

**Alright, now time for the final chapter: the epilogue! Keep an eye out for it! Thanks for sticking with it! R&R, please and thank you! (bows)**


	8. Rebirth

**YESH! NOW, TIME FOR THE EPILOGUE! I'm finally getting this fan fiction done! I'm so excited about this! Okay, so, in my profile I said that I normally don't go for happy endings, but last chapter had a somewhat happy ending. I never mentioned this, but I'm also a HUGE fan of cliffhangers... XD So, I may either excite you people with the ending or I may just enrage you! Either way, here's the end of it all! It should be rather short, so enjoy it while it lasts! Ending theme is Shunkan Sentimental by SCANDAL from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood! Enjoi! XDDD**

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It had been six years since that night in the Underground City when Alphonse Elric witnessed and executed the death of his older brother. Since then, he had started a happy family with Winry out in Resembool, the now adult Elric helping out his loving fiancee in her automail workshop. They had been engaged for around two years, and the summer wedding was coming fast. Al's life was happily hectic with his new job and overly emotional wife-to-be with a baby on the way. He had taken up the title of Fullmetal Alchemist is his older brother's place, now working as a Lieutenant Colonel under Fuhrer Mustang and General Hawkeye's commands. Even after everything that had happened that night, Roy had left the title of Master to whomever wanted to seize it. The memories of Ed must have been too much, Al guessed. Whether out of fear or respect, no vampire had stepped forward to fill in the Master's role, so they remained without a leader. Al kept in contact with the Fuhrer to stay on track of the vampire realm, hoping to hear something about Evelyn's ventures out in the world. The last he head heard of the young vampire hunter, she was out in Drachma fighting a species of vampire called Strigoi or something. That had been three years ago.

Riza was working hard as Fuhrer Mustang's secretary, filling out peace treaties and State Alchemist acceptance letters. She still kept a few vampire-killing weapons on her person at all times, just in case the Fuhrer decided to try any stunts. He hadn't so far, and seemed to be steadily forgetting about that side of himself. At least, that's the ruse Roy put on for them. He still kept in contact with his allies in the vampire realm, but not just because Alphonse asked him to. He was waiting for the feedback on the experiment they had been conducting for the past six years. He would sit at his desk, furiously scribbling his signature on various papers without actually reading them, his mind all the while occupied. Had they succeeded? Why hadn't they contacted him yet? What was taking them so long?

Roy sighed in frustration, tossing his pen aside and leaning back in his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his face scrunched up. He felt a strangely familiar tugging in the back of his mind, and it was starting to give him a migraine. He propped his feet up on his desk, the sun beating on the back of his neck through the three large windows in his office.

"General Hawkeye, I believe we should take a break. Can you prepare some tea, please?" he called to the other room outside. He was answered with silence. He blinked a few times, then sat up straight again. That was strange. She was always dutiful and always answered. Had she left the room? "Hawkeye? Are you there?" More long seconds of silence. Then, just as he was about to stand, he heard the soft pitter-patter of bare feet on the other side of the door. One of the footfalls was heavier than the other and seemed to clank a little. The door to his office creaked open slowly, allowing Riza's beheaded body to fall forward. Roy cried out in surprise, nearly vomiting at the sight. Her spinal structure was clearly visible through the still steaming meat in her neck, a relentless stream of gorgeous blood spilling from her spilt veins and forming a pristine pool on the floor around her body. It was then that Roy heard the familiar dark chuckle from behind the door, and his heart stalled for a whole minute. A bloodied automail hand reached out and pushed the door open the rest of the way, revealing the figure behind it.

There stood a clearly living Edward Elric, smirking sadistically and narrowing his crimson eyes at Roy as he carelessly tossed Riza's still screaming head into the air over and over again. At last, he dropped the item and smashed his heel into the skull, the sound of bone shattering ringing throughout the eerie silence of the office.

"Hey, Roy..." Ed spoke slowly, his voice low and dangerous as he took small steps toward the Fuhrer. Roy's obsidian eyes widened in surprise and fear as he was backed up against his desk. The experiment had been a complete success after all. They had actually managed to bring the Master back to life. Roy collapsed to his knees, looking up at Ed with hopeful eyes. Ed reached out and cupped Roy's face in his hand, still smiling evilly as he leaned down and held his face close to Roy's. The longing for the Master's touch and scent had Roy's mind reeling, his eyes fluttering half-closed as he stared dreamily up at Ed. The blonde chuckled at this, smiling wider. "I commend for leaving my place open for me and returning me to life. Your reward will be great, my child. Now that I have returned... We shall take revenge on those foolish humans who dared to think they could conquer me...

"Together."

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**DUN DUN DUUUHHHHHH! CLIFFHANGER! Unfortunately for you all, that's the end of the story! I know, I suck BIG TIME! I will return with possibly another big story, definitely some one shots. I hope you liked this! R&R, please and thank you! XDDD**


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